Family
by XLR8ION
Summary: This story is about five teens; three human, one pred, one alien. This is my first fan fic ever so please, critique hard! Reviews would also be appreciated.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

I woke with a start. A high pitched wail was coming from somewhere above me. Pulsing red light accompanied the noise. The combination was making my head throb painfully in time with the light. Confusion muddled my thoughts.

_What... what's going on? Where...?_

I had a vague recollection of a crash... then fire... then... pain? The next thing I remembered was being dragged away by strange, pale -skinned people. Did they bring me here? Where _am_ I anyway?

I tried to sit up to get a better look at my surroundings, but I couldn't. I tried again. Nothing. Panick filled me, an emotion I was not used to feeling. Something was holding me down, preventing me from moving. That wasn't good.

I struggled hard hard against my bonds . Summoning all my strength, I finally managed to rip an arm free. Electricity cackled and sparks flew, bouncing harmlessly off the armored black chitin of my hide.

With one arm free, I proceeded to tear the rest of the restraints off my other arm, head, legs, and tail. Sparks showered down on me like hot, electrified rain, but I took no notice of it. Sitting up, I finally was able to get a good look at the immediate area. I was fully awake and alert, the pain in my head all but forgotten.

I was in a rectangular room, sitting on a rectangular platform that seemed to be raised above the ground. The air was cold, but the temperature wasn't what bothered me. What bothered me was how unnaturally flat and featureless the walls were. Even the floor and ceiling had no texture. Were it not for the flashing light (which by now was beginning to get on my nerves, and the same for the wailing alarm that went with it) all the walls, the floor, and the ceiling would've been bright, steril white. From what I could see that also meant there was no exit. Only a small, rectangular indent in the far right wall even resembled a door.

It was obvious what this place was meant for. It was designed to contain it's occupant, me, in one small area where I could do whoever was keeping me here no damage. It was a prison.

I hissed, expanding my view of the prison. Immediately I was hit with a new, mental image in my mind. The cell (for that's what it was) I was in was but one of many identical cells. They were all around, all placed so that they were each perfectly aligned with the others, all surrounding one long room that was connected to each via several hallways, or tunnels. All were exactly the same as mine, except mine was the only one that was occupied.

Suddenly, I felt a presence. More than one actually. They felt... unsettled. I hissed again, a little louder this time. In my mind, an image formed. In it were the same pale creatures that I remembered dragging me away from... What was it? A crash site? Ugh, why cant I remember? Nevermind. I'll figure that out later, I thought. The creatures were running around, shouting at one another. I realized they must've been alerted by the wailing niose and the lights. It was an alarm! But what had triggered it? Were they being attacked? I would soon find out.

The indent in the far right wall suddenly hissed. Startled, I faced it, hissing myself, but this time out of instinct. The pale creatures were just on the other side of the wall. My heart was pounding, but not out of fear or nervousness. I was excited. Soon these creatures would get what they deserved for imprisoning me this way. I crouched, ready. The rectangle began to slide sideways, disappearing into the wall next to it. I heard voices as a figure entered the room.

I sprung.


	2. Chapter 1

**CH. 1**

**Cerra**

"Are you sure? We could wait-"

I cut Janine off with a raised hand. "You guys go on ahead. I just have to run inside, put my gear away, and finish up my chores real fast, okay?"

Jack nodded, but Janine just sighed. "Okay. Just meet us at the Shack in an hour, alright?" She fixed her sightless gaze on me. Her blind eyes drilled into mine as though she could actually see them. Which I guess she could, in a way. The look on her face said _Be there. Or else._ I nodded sheepishly. Unfortunately I was notorious for flaking out on dates with my friends. But this time, I was determined to make it.

"Don't worry. If in an hour's when you want me, an hour's when you'll get me." Lame joke, I know. That's another thing I'm famous for. I smiled, knowing Janine could feel it in my thoughts.

"C'mon, Janine," Jack said, tugging gently on her shirt. "We'd better get down to the Shack before all the toppings for the ice cream Sundaes are gone." He grinned back at me, the sunlight reflecting brightly off his thick glasses and the dark skin atop his bald head. "See ya later, Cerra."

I waved them off as they drove away in Jacks' ugly Chevy van, wishing silently that I could go with them. Sighing, I turned and lugged my gear through the back door of the house. No sooner had I closed the door than I was bombarded by my little brother and sister, Katie and Ethan. Our three year old golden retriever, Maggie, was soon to follow.

"Oof," I grunted as the twins slammed their heads into my gut. "Hey, guys." I hugged them both. "Hey, girl." I bent around my siblings to scratch Maggie behing one floppy ear. Her tail whipped back and forth furiously and she began to pant happily. "How are you all doing?"

"What took you so long?" Katie whined.

"Yeah, what gives?" said Ethan.

I sighed again. "Nothing, guys. Practice just took a little longer than normal today."

"So?" they both said in unison. They do that a lot. Twin telepathy, I swear.

_"So, _since Sensei Me Lung decided to keep us at practice longer, it also took longer for me to get home. Besides, Jack and Janine picked me up in the van, so it couldn't have been that long." I take Karate and Kung Fu lessons, by the way. Sensei Me Lung (pronounced Me _Long_) is my teacher. I'm a black belt in both, but I still go to practice to keep my skills honed. You never know when you might need them.

"Janine and Jack were here? How come you didn't tell us!" Katie cried.

"Yeah, how come?" Ethan right after Katie every time. Five years old and still such a pain...

"Uh, maybe because I _just walked in the door._" Maggie whined, picking up on my tone and wondering if I was upset with her. I dropped my gear and bent down again to stroke her big head. "No, no, girl, you're okay. Good girl." Her tail resumed it's furious wagging.

"Where did they go?" Katie asked.

"They drove down to the shack for some ice-" They looked at me. "For some ice! They went for some ice!" The twins looked confused, but at least they didn't ask any more questions. Never mention ice cream around these two. _Ever._ That is, unless you like your ears being whined off. I learned _that_ the hard way.

"Alright," I said. "Move it. I've got chores to do." I bundled my siblings into the kitchen, leaving my bag of sparring gear where it lay in the middle of the floor. Mom would grill me for it later, but for now I figured it'd be fine where it was.

Katie and Ethan tore off into the living room where I knew Mom woulde be, with Maggie close on their heels. Since I was already here I decided to get to work on the dishes. Filling the sink with hot water and pouring a little Dawn in there, I called, "Mom, I'm home! Is it alright if I go down to the town for a while? I was supposed to meet some friends there."

"Where at?" Mom called back.

"The Shack."

"Alright, as long as you get your chores done and are back by ten."

"Great! Thanks."

"And as soon as you get your bag out of the middle of the walkway." I stopped. How... "Cerra, you leave your bag there everyday," she laughed. "I should know by now that you're going to keep on doing it."

Oh.

Sighing yet again, I quickly moved my gear and hurried with the rest of my chores in order to keep up with my one-hour deadline.


	3. Chapter 2

**Janine**

"Ugh, I wish we had waited for her." I groaned.

"Don't worry, Janine. Cerra'll be fine. She rides her bike to town all the time. I don't think it will kill her to do it again." I felt Jack smile.

"Yeah, I know. But still, it's an awful long ways and we could've at least helped her-" Jack cut me off.

"Listen Janine. You need to stop worrying so much. Cerra will be _fine._ Besides, you know how those athletic types are; they _live _ for the exercise!" he chuckled at his own lame joke. I suddenly felt the van accelerate rapidly down the narrow backroad.

Oh God. I hate speeding. Not only because it's dangerous, but because it makes it difficult for me to "see" out the window using echolocation. I can never tell what's going on around the vehicle, and that made me nervous.

"Er, Jack?" I asked.

"Hm?"

"Why are we speeding up?"

"To keep up with the speed limit."

"I thought we were already going the speed limit."

"Oh no, that's the _governments'_ speed limit. We're going by _my_ speed limit."

"Oh." The van was still speeding up, if slowly. "So Jack, tell me. What is your speed limit?" I felt him grin broadly.

"Ninety-five."

"How fast are we going now?" I asked nevously. His grin widened at my tone.

"Eighty-five, and going up."

Gulp.

"Um, could you possibly... please... slow down a bit?"

He chuckled. "Relax, Janine. There's no one else on this road, and it's perfectly straight. There's nothing but open fields all around us until we get to the forest outside town, so it's not like I won't see ay animal that tries to become roadkill. And I'm an expert driver too, so you shouldn't worry."

"Please?" I begged.

Jack sighed. "Fine." I felt relief as the van began to slow down to the normal speed limit. "Why do you like driving so slow anyways?"

I rolled my eyes at him. "So that I can see out the window, you jerk."

"You cant see anyways." He muttered, and I shot him a reproachful glare. Turning back I clucked my toungue, directing the sound out the open window. The plains were coming to an end, giving way for the small coniferous forest that marked the borders of town. As we neared it, I suddenly felt pressure on my mind, like someone, or something, was trying to contact me mentally. That was strange. Nothing had ever tried to enter my mind before. I didn't even thing anything _could_. I only knew what it felt like because it's what others felt whenever I entered their minds.

Whatever was trying to contact me was distressed, and was trying to get help. We had just entered the forest, and the presence grew stronger. It wasn't human.

_Oh boy._ I thought. "Jack, pull over."

"What?" Jack slowed, but didn't stop.

"_Pull over._" Something about my tone must've told him not to argue, because he stopped the van at the side of the road. Immediately I unbuckled my seatbelt and jumped out, leaving the door open behind me. I walked out to the other side of the road, stopping just outside the huge wall of trees.

"Janine!" Jack called from behind. He ran up to stand beside me. I felt him look at me. "Janine, what are you doing?" The presence was stronger than ever now. It was urging me forward. I could feel it's pain. Someone had shot it's leg, and it was bleeding badly. It made my own leg throb. I started towards it, but Jack grabbed my arm and stopped me. I tried to pull away, but nerdy as he was, he was still stronger than me. He held me firm.

"Jack, what are you doing? Let go. I have to help it."

"Help what? There's nothing in there. Now c'mon." He tried to pull me back towards the van, but I resisted.

"Yes, there _is _something in there, and it's hurt. Bad. I can feel it. Let me go!" I pulled as hard as I could, and finally broke free. Jack scowled.

"Fine. Whatever. But I'm coming with you." He growled. I smiled at him, and turned to lead, hissing softly between my teeth to find my way through the trees and to the wounded creature. It was close.

_Here._

I started slightly. He, for I got the distinct feeling that the creature was male, had just spoken to me. In my mind. I felt a slight pull in my head, directing me left. _Okay_, I thought nervously. I followed it, and began to push my way through a particularly thick patch of undergrowth. There I hesitated. Jack was right behind me, waiting for me to move, not saying anything.

The creature was just beyond the spiney bush I was in. A thought ocurred to me. What if this was a trap? What if it- _he,_ was trying to lure me closer so he could have me for an afternoon snack? He certainly felt like he could eat me.

He reached out his mind to touch mine, having felt my tension, and I felt the full force of the pain he was in. Agony ripped through my leg. I gasped and nearly collapsed, but Jack caught me before I could hit the ground. He opened his mouth to say something, but I shook my head. I knew this was no trap. This... thing really needed my help. I pushed forward through the bush, and there he was.


	4. Chapter 3

**CH. 3**

I stood, frozen, too shot up with nerves and fear to move. I heard Jack whisper a curse behind me. From where we were standing I couldn't tell what this thing looked like, but I knew he wasn't something that had been born on Earth. At least not _naturally._ And he was big. Really big. I didn't need to see him to know that. Judging by his size I could guess that he was fairly strong, and could probably rip me apart limb from limb if he wanted.

He looked at us.

"Lets get outta here!" Jack hissed. He grabbed me by the shoulder and pulled me back. This time I didn't resist. I stumbled backwards, turning as my butt hit the leafy ground.

_Wait! _I froze again. Jack continued on through the brush, but stopped when he noticed I wasn't with him.

"What are you doing? C'mon!" He yelled, waving me toward him. I shook my head and turned back, feeling my way again through the thorn bush. Jack called out after me, but I ignored him.

What _was_ I doing? Was I crazy? That thing's gonna have me for dinner if I don't get back to the van right now! Now! I continued through until I was facing the creature once more. I felt him look at me.

_Did I frighten you? I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to scare you, or your friend. Though I would appreciate it if he stayed back._ His voice was quiet in my head, his tone soft and reassuring. It felt like I could trust him. What did I have to lose? A finger. Or maybe a hand. I hesitated. The creature read my thoughts. _I won't hurt you, _he murmured in my head. Okay then. I took a deep breath and called out, "Jack?"

"Yeah?" I smiled. He hadn't tried to follow me. Good.

"Go back to the van please."

"What? Why? There's no way I'm gonna leave you with a monster-"

"Jack, _please._"

"Okay, fine. I won't come any closer, but this is as far as I'm going." I sighed. I reached my mind out to the creature.

_Is he far enough? _I felt him nod. Another deep breath. _Okay, so how do I do this?_ He beckoned me closer. I moved to kneel beside him and reached my hands out, palms forward. I paused, glancing at him. _May I?_ He consented. I leaned forward and pressed my hands against the side of his ribcage.

I almost pulled my hands back in shock. His body felt skeletal and stangely cool to the touch, his hide hard like armor. He was positioned on the ground sprawled out on his belly with his injured leg stretched out awkwardly. I realized he had digitigrade legs, like a dog, but they were longer than his front legs, or arms, like a human's. The creature felt like something that belonged in a scary Sci Fi movie.

"Janine?"

I hissed in annoyance. "What?"

"Um, nothing. Just, uh..."

_"What?"_

"You sure you should be near that thing, or whatever it is?"

I sighed. "Don't worry. He's fine with me. It's you he doesn't like."

"What'd I do?"

I snickered. "He thinks your glasses are ugly."

"Oh, ha ha. Very funny." He was silent for a moment. Then, "What exactly are you doing? Is it really hurt?"

"I'm trying to help him. And yes, he is hurt. Pretty badly I think. Also, 'it' is a 'he'."

"Oh. Well, do you need anything? Bandages, needle and thread? I've got all kinds of junk in the van you could probably use. I could go run and get you whatever you need." I opened my mouth to reply, but the creature inturrupted me.

_None of those things will work, _he said. An emotional wave of nerves hit me, coming from him. I gently placed a hand on his side, concerned. He shuddered. _The wound needs to be burned closed._ My eyes widened.

_You mean it needs to be cauterized? But... _I slid my hand down his flank to his thigh, feeling the hard, sinewy muscle in his leg. Just above his knee joint I found what seemed to be a large gaping wound. Judging by what I could feel and the fair amount of pain it caused him, it looked as though he had been gotten by a shotgun. His flesh was torn and mangled, and I could tell he was bleeding heavily.

"Janine?" Jack called. He sounded nervous.

"Hold on." Very gently I prodded around the edges of the creature's wound to see how wide it was. Alarm suddenly jolted through me and he yelped loudly.

_Don't! _He cried in my head. He shoved my hands away using his large head. They were coated in his blood.

_What?_ I said, sharing his alarm. _Did I hurt you?_

_No..._ His shock melded into confusion._ It doesn't... burn?_ He indicated to the blood on my hands.

_No. Should it?_ Now it was my turn to be confused. He nudged my wrist.

_My blood is extremely acidic. Your hands should've dissolved away by now, as well as most of your arms._ He sounded amazed. That made me kind of mad.

_ Oh. Well gee, thanks for the warning._ I glared at him. _You could've killed me._

He felt hurt. _I'm sorry. It's not like I knew you were going to saturate yourself in my blood._

_ How can I not? I was born blind! Touching is the only way I can tell how badly you're hurt._

_ I'm blind, too. _He growled. _You're lucky. I don't even have _eyes. That surprised me.

_Really?_

He nodded, shifting slightly. As he did so a bolt of pain went shooting up my leg. I suppressed a gasp while I felt the creature dig his claws into the soft earth. He cried softly.

_Sorry..._ He muttered. I grit my teeth and shook my head.

"Jack!" I sensed Jack's head jerk up in surprise. I had almost forgotten about him. I felt bad about it, but I shoved the feeling aside. Now wasn't the time.

"Yeah."

"Run back to the van and get me a long, flat piece of metal and a lighter."

"Wh-?"

"Please."

Hearing my tone, he decided not to argue. "Okay. Be back in a sec." He turned and ran backin the direction from which we'd come. Turning back to the creature, I leaned forward to rest my hand on his forehead.

He had an elongated, domed head that had deep ridges all along it. I quickly found that he really didn't have eyes. Huh. Maybe I was lucky after all. I also noticed that there was a strange symbol branded onto his forehead. Being the skilled brail reader that I was, I had no problem discovering what the symbol looked like, but I had no idea what it meant. It was shaped like this; -/o\-. I decided to ignore it for now, but filed it away for future study.

_Are you alright?_ I asked gently. He didn't answer. I moved so that I was sitting with my legs off to one side. I sat right up next to his head, dead leaves and fallen twigs crackling and crunching beneath me. Draping my arm over his head, I stroked him lightly. He was confused, but he leaned quietly into my side. Smiling, I wiped a small amount of saliva from his lips. _Do you have a name?_

_No._ His voice was even quieter than before. His injury must be taking it's toll. Praying that Jack would hurry, I continued to run my hand over the hard carapace of his head.

_Why not? Didn't your... er... mother give you one?_

_ I don't know, _he admitted. _I don't remember even having a mother, let alone recieving a name from one._ He continued thoughtfully. _Maybe I do have a name, and I just cant remember it. I don't remember anything before..._ He trailed off.

_What? Before what? _

He heaved a sigh, eliciting more pain from his leg. I felt him bare his teeth under my fingers as they stroked his face, hissing. His tail thudded against the ground a ways behind me. _Nevermind,_ he growled. Jeez. I couldn't believe how badly it hurt, and I shuddered as I tried to imagine how much more pain I would cause him once Jack got back. I tightened my arm around him.

_If you don't have a name, then I guess I'm going to have to give you one. Would you like that? _I looked down at him. He was surprised.

_You would do that?_ He asked.

I smiled. _Of course. I don't want to have to call you 'you' or 'thing' all the time. You deserve better than that._

_ I don't know..._

_ Oh, c'mon, please? You've got to have a name!_

He growled, and I felt it rumbling through his side. _Fine. _

_ Okay,_ I said smiling. _Let's see. Hmmm..._ As I thought I slowly ran my hands over his smooth, armored hide. I thought of how sleek and shiny he must look, slithering silently through the forest, the shadows practically reaching out to cling to him, his glossy black hide blending in perfectly with the backround... Shadow? Is that what I should call him? No. That was a name people gave to their dogs, and he was definately _not _a pet. Strange, that I should know how he would look and move, when I haven't even really seen him myself. But how? Then I realized; these must be his memories I'm seeing. He must be able to form images in his mind much better than I can.

His memories were fuzzy, especially the older ones. I could see him clearly, but the backround was all out of focus; I couldn't make out anything that was going on.

I 'watched' him slip easily through dense foliage, winding in and out of thick tree trunks, using the darkness provided by the canopy of leaves and branches above him to stay perfectly concealed.

Suddenly it came to me. I knew what I would call him. He lifted his head expectantly.

Before I could say anything however, Jack came crashing through the forest, heading in our direction. The creature next to me tensed, a low growl rumbling up from a place deep within his throat.

_Easy,_ I murmured. _It's only Jack. He's a friend._ The creature nuzzled closer to me with a huff, and I hugged him tighter.

"Janine! I got the stuff you wanted. I'm coming through."

"Alright, but come slowly." I called to him.

"I thought you said it was hurt so bad it can't help itself?"

"_He_ is. But that doesn't mean he can't- or won't- attack." His pace slowed, and gradually he struggled through the bushes. Finally my friend forced his way out and stood stock still in front of us, holding a butcher knife in one hand and flame-thrower of a lighter in the other. Why he had those things in his van I had no idea, but I was glad for them. I knew he must be shocked that I was so close the the creature, so I quickly waved him forward.

"Ookay then. Here." Jack handed me the knife and the lighter. That's when I realized; I'm blind. There's no way I'm going to be able to cauterize the creature's injury. At least not without hurting myself in the process. I held the knife by the handle.

"Um, Jack?"

"It's a knife," he offered helpfully.

"Er, yeah. I know that. But Jack..."

"What?"

"I'm BLIND!"

"Oh." He just stood there, uncomprehending. I ground my teeth together.

_"Jack."_ I said, trying to keep my voice calm.

"Yeah?"

"I can't do it." He stared at me blankly. "I can't cauterize his leg." Still staring. _"I need you to do it for me!"_

"Oh," he said again. A second later I felt realization dawn in him. His eyes widened. _"Oh!"_ I nodded. "Oh, no, Janine. I can't do that." Woah. It had never ocurred to me that he might refuse.

Shocked, I asked, "Why not?"

"Because! I just- I can't-." I looked at him. He blubbered on. "That thing is freakin' scary! If you only knew-"

"I do know," I whispered sadly.

"Huh?"

"I said I know what he looks like. And I still want to do all I can to help him. Only I can't. Not by myself." My voice was quiet. The creature sensed my emotions and sent his own to comfort me. I gently rubbed the smooth front part of his forehead. He purred softly, and I smiled, feeling better. "That's why I need you to do it, Jack." I looked up at the boy standing in front of me. "Please. He needs our help. He'll die without it." I was shocked by the truth in my words. Though my new found friend felt strong, and would live a little while, there was no way he would survive the night in his condition. "Please," I said again.

Jack stared at me for a long time, not saying anything. Finally, he sighed. "Alright." He knelt down next to me. "What do you need me to do?" I swear I could've kissed him, but I (easily) refrained.

"You've got to heat the knife up until it's red hot." The creature hissed softly. "Sshhh," I quieted him. While we waited for Jack to finish heating the knife I slipped my fingers under the creature's jaw. I scratched him just behind the corner of his jaw, in a small indent above his throat. He purred deeply and leaned into my hand. Amused, I scratched harder. The purring intensified and he tilted his head towards me, exposing the soft underside of his neck. I trailed my fingers lightly up and down the soft membranes, smiling.

"Janine. I think it's ready. The blade's like glowing red now," Jack said. Oh. I sighed. Good feeling gone.

"Okay. Press it against the wound on his leg. Be careful not to touch the blood." He must've already known why because he nodded nervously. He moved to do as I told him, but he hesitated. "Now! Hurry before it-" I didn't get to finish because just then I was overwhelmed by the most excruciating pain I'd ever experienced in my life. I screamed. My leg felt like it was literally on fire. The pain eased for a moment, though the burning remained, then flared up again, worse than before. The creature gave a sharp cry but didn't try to pull away. I clung to him like he was my only life line and I was stranded out in the middle of an ocean of fire. I think I might have passed out once, only to wake to more pain. Each time Jack pressed the knife to the creature's flesh, agony tore through my body, originating just above my left knee.

Gradually though, the pain began to lessen, and Jack withdrew the blade a final time. I lay gasping on top of the poor, hurt alien, who shuddered underneath me. I realized I had not yet given him his name. Twisting, I flopped over, laying belly-down across his back. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and rested my cheek against the side of his long head.

"Slink," I breathed aloud. "Your name is Slink." I felt him shudder, and together we both sank into the blissful oblivion of unconciousness.


	5. Chapter 4

_**Yes! I've finally got this chapter done! Took freaking forever. Okay, I want to thank those of you who have been reviewing, and I'm very glad you like the story so far. Also, here's a little FYI for you all; I'm going to be switching through the character's POV's (if you hadn't figured that out already, which I'm sure you have) so that you will be able to see different parts of the story better, and so that you can simply get to know the characters more easily. Another thing; I will always say who's POV the new chapter will be in at the beginning of each chapter, unless the new chapter is going to be in the same POV as the last one, because then there is really no need for it. So, that said, time for the disclaimer; (I'm only doing this once so don't ask that I do it agian.) I DO NOT OWN ALIENS OR PREDATORS. THEY BELONG TO GIGER (luv him:)) AND WHOEVER IT WAS THAT MADE PREDATORS. I ONLY OWN THE OC'S IN THIS STORY, SO FAR KNOWN AS JANINE, JACK, CERRA, SLINK, AND THE PRED WHO'S NAME I WILL NOT REVEAL YET.**_

**CH. 4**

** Jack**

I sat there, just staring at them, holding a half-melted butcher knife in my hand. I'd just finished cauterizing that monster's leg, and now it and Janine were both unconcious. But for some reason as soon as I put the knife up to the monster's injury, Janine let a scream that sounded as though it was _her_ leg that was being cauterized. The knife hadn't been anywhere near her! I was shocked and in disbelief of what had just happened, but the scientific side of me couldn't help but wonder; why did she react that way?  
I remembered her telling me once that she could "connect" her mind with the minds of others, and could read their thoughts as well as implant her own into their minds. Cerra ha believed her instantly, but he only reason I did was because when she spoke, her mouth didn't move. I had been doubtful. I thought she could just be really good at ventriloquism. It wasn't physically possible to extend your mind out to others. The top scientists of the world were just starting to figure out mind-reading with computers, and even then they could only measure different brain waves caused by certain stimulants, let alone decipher whole thought processes_.  
_Janine had just laughed. "Yeah, right," she said. She was smiling, and yet her lips remained static. The wierdest part though, was that I heard her talking _in my head._ Only I wasn't really hearing her, it only felt like I was.  
So was it possible that she had connected her mind to this... What should I call it? It was unlike anything ever born on Earth, so I think the only word that truly fits it is "alien." Crazy as it sounds, I highly doubted that anything like this would ever be allowed to be created in a lab. And to be honest, it would be so much cooler if this thing had come from space. God, I'm such a nerd.  
Anyway.  
If Janine had contacted it mentally, and could feel it's thoughts, then could she also feel it's pain? I think it was plausible, because if their minds were connected-  
A grunt jerked me out of my thoughts. It was the alien.  
Slowly, the alien lifted it's long head. It turned to look straight at me. At least, I thought it was looking at me. It was kind of hard to tell. The thing didn't have eyes.  
A low growl rumbled up from it's throat, it's slimy black lips pulling back to reveal vicious, silvery teeth. Hissing, it parted it's jaws, and a long rod slid out, dripping thick globs of saliva onto the leafy ground. I realized that this must be it's tongue. That's when I noticed that there were tiny silver teeth at the end of the tongue. It was a little mouth! It opened and closed as though eagerly awaiting the moment it would get to take a bite out of my flesh.  
Suppressing a shudder, I saw Janine was still laying on top of the alien. Not knowing what else to do, I lifted a shaky hand and pointed at the girl. The alien followed my finger and looked almost surprised to find Janine sprawled across his back (I'm just gonna go ahead and say it's a he). He closed his jaws, his inner mouth darting back inside where it belonged. The alien twisted around and gently pushed his head under Janine's body. She moaned as the alien slowly lifted her up off his back and onto the ground. I watched, fascinated as he then heaved his front end up and sat back on his haunches like a dog, then leaned forward and stood. I noticed he was favoring his injured leg, keeping most of his body weight off it.  
The alien lowered his head and nudged the girl laying at his feet. She groaned and woke. Seeing the alien, she raised her hand and placed her palm over the strange symbol on his domed forehead. They were still for a moment, and I sensed that they were communicating somehow. Janine sat up and turned around, her blind green eyes finding mine. She smiled at me.  
"Hey," she said.  
"Hey." My reply must not've been what she was looking for. She frowned.  
"What's wrong, Jack?" she asked quielty. I opened my mouth to answer, but was cut off suddenly by the alien's snarl. Janine spun around and jumped up at the same time I did. The alien was facing backward, looking out into the forest. "Slink," Janine whispered, and stood next to him. I understood that Slink must be what she called him.  
The top of the alien's - Slink's - long head came up to Janine's shoulder. But that was on all fours. Slink reared up, balancing on his two hind legs. He towered above us, now over eight feet of terrifying armored black monster.  
Slink's tail slipped forward and wrapped around Janine's tiny waist, picking her up and placing her near me, but not close enough for me to touch her. Janine looked confused, but I understood what was happening. Something was coming, and Slink had placed her behind him to protect her from it. A chill went down my spine. Whatever it was had Slink pretty spooked. That was bad. Very bad.  
Slink snarled again and I saw realization dawn on Janine's face, her eyes widening fearfully. Quickly she stepped forward, determination replacing the look on her face. Reaching up, she took hold of a couple of the four spines that protruded from Slink's shoulder blades. Shocked, I watched as she placed her foot on his heel, which was angled so that it formed a convenient foothold. Janine lifted herself up and climbed onto Slink's back. She hooked her legs in between his shoulder spines and sat there. Surprised, Slink dropped back down on all fours, turning his head to stare at her.  
Janine leaned forward and said aloud, "You can't fight it. Not now. Get us out of here." Slink continued to stare for a moment, then finally turned. He moved toward me, but I stepped back, nervous. Slink huffed, the end of his tail flicking back and forth in annoyance. He had a sharp blade at the end, which only added to his dangerous appearance. Janine was impatient, but I could see she was scared. "Jack, please. He won't hurt you unless I give him permission."  
"Permission? So he does want to eat me."  
She hissed. "Jack, there's no time for this. Something's coming. And it's dangerous. Even more dangerous than Slink. Something that wants to kill us." She sounded on the verge of panic. I swallowed and nodded. Hissing, Slink lunged forward. He captured me in his claws, and suddenly he was speeding us toward the road, away from the threat in the forest.  
Slink was not doing anything to make me feel comfortable. I don't think he was comfortable either though. He was running on two legs, and was clutching me to his bony chest like a school girl carries her books. I ducked my head to protect my face from branches and twigs that whipped past.  
Slink stopped and dropped me unceremoniously on the hard black asphalt at the egde of the road. I scrambled up. The van was just on the other side. I started toward it, but stopped and turned back. Janine was still sitting on Slink's back, peeking out around his shiny black shoulder.  
"Janine? You coming?" I asked. I already knew the answer. She shook her head. I saw frightened tears rimming her eyes. "Why not? Janine, you can't be serious? Whatever's out there is gonna kill you! You have to come with me!" Thunder rumbled in the distance. I glanced up. The sky was overcast, the dark clouds threatening rain.  
Janine shook her head again. "I can't. I have to see what that thing is. Slink knows, but he can't remember anything right now."  
I stared at her. "You're crazy if you think I'm gonna let you go back there alone." Slink huffed at me. I shot him a glare.  
"I'm not alone. I have Slink. Honestly Jack, he'd do a lot better job protecting me than you would." She grimaced. "No offense."  
She was right, of course. What could I do? Bore the bad guys to death with scientific theory? No, that'd likely only make them mad, like the bullies at school.  
Slink hissed softly and shifted uneasily, reminding us both that the something was still out there, probably searching for us. Janine looked at me pleadingly. I ground my teeth together.  
"Alright, _fine._ I'll call Cerra and tell her-"  
"No! Jack, listen. Meet her at the Shack like we're supposed to. I'll call you if anything happens, okay? Otherwise I'll meet you there in an hour or two."  
"Janine-"  
"Trust me. It'll be fine. I'll call you. I promise." She looked me straight in the eye as she spoke. I felt a slight pressure in the back of my head, like a headache was on the way. Actually, that's not hard to believe with these circumstances. But the pressure increased. It didn't feel like a normal...  
My mind went completely blank, and I couldn't finish the thought. I stared stupidly back at Janine, my mouth hanging slightly open. Slink leaned his head forward to smell me, then pulled back hissing a laugh.  
"Jack," Janine said softly. I stared. "Go to town and meet Cerra there. Wait for me to call you. If anything bad happens I'll let you know. Don't tell Cerra anything about this. When she asks where I'm at tell her something came up at the orphanage and I had to help. Okay?" I nodded. "Good. Now go."  
Numbly I turned and walked back across the street to the van. I climbed in the driver's side, and buckled up. i turned the key in the ignition and the engine roared to life.  
It wasn't until I had found a seat inside the Shack and was waiting for Cerra that I realized what had happened.


	6. Chapter 5

_**'Kay, I know I left off with a rather large cliffhanger and that some people are impatient for this chapter. I won't mention any names *cough*RubyDracoGirl*cough*. Anyway, here it is, Chapter 5, less than 24 hours after the last chapter was posted. Enjoy! :D (Also, please ignore any typos you find. I try to patch them as best I can but for some reason the corrections never save.) **_

**Ch. 5**

** Slink**

We moved silently through the woods. I could feel Janine on my back, lying with her legs tucked up against her sides. She was ducked low, using my head as cover. I was still a bit confused as to why I trusted her so much. Thinking back, I remembered waking up in that horrible cell and escaping when the humans opened the door. They'd had these long sticks that fired large pellets at dangerously fast speeds. I shuddered, reliving the moment when several pellets tore through the flesh of my leg. The pain was excruciating, and the memory made my wound throb.

Sensing my thoughts and feeling my pain, Janine stroked her fingers over the sensitive skin on my neck. The sensation made me feel a little better, which only confused me more. Janine was a human. So why was she so gentle? I'd have thought that when she found me injured and bleeding she would've at least called for another to come finish me off. But no. Instead she decided to help me. Yes, she had been a little afraid at first, but once I let her know I wouldn't hurt her she was perfectly comfortable with me. She'd even given me a name! Perhaps not all humans are dangerous, just the majority of the species.

_Slink._ Janine's voice pulled me back to reality. _Listen,_ she whispered in my head._ I can't hear anything. _I paused and lifted my head. Hissing, I listened. For a moment I thought she was simply stating that she couldn't hear the threat we were chasing, but then I noticed that there were no sounds coming from the forest. No birds chirped or rustled the leaves of the trees they were hiding in; no small animals moved through the thick brush. Even the insects were silent. That was not a good sign. Janine thought so, too.

_Are you doing that?_ She said softly. I smelled as well as felt her fear growing.

_I don't think so. There's something else out there._ I turned my head towards her._ Maybe you should've gone with Jack, _I suggested, resenting the thought. She shook her head, and didn't reply.

Crouching low, I slithered through the dense undergrowth, my belly brushing the ground. I went in the direction I thought the threat was hiding. Moving slowly, getting closer, and closer... There! It was just up ahead. Janine shivered and clung tighter to the appendages on my shoulder blades.

Suddenly I froze, and Janine gasped quietly. There in front of us was the thing we were looking for. It was shaped like a human, but was much larger. I couldn't make out anything else about it, because I was afraid if I tried to see better with echolocation I would give our position away.

But why was it so familiar? I knew I'd seen this creature before, somewhere, but I can't remember. It must've been sometime before the crash...

A twig snapped behind us.

The human-thing whipped around. I quickly ducked behind a tree, seriously hoping that it hadn't seen us. It made a strange noise, sounding like a growl, with a series of rapid clicks mixed in.

_Slink..._ Janine said fearfully.

_Shhh._ The monster began to make it's way toward us. Frantic, I searched my mind for any kind of escape. I couldn't possibly fight it in my condition. If I were feeling up to full strength and didn't have a defenceless human female with me it would be a different story. However, since I'm _not_ feeling up to full strength and I _do_ have defenceless human female with me, I'm going to have to find an alternate means of dealing with this thing, because I had a very strong feeling that it wouldn't hesitate to kill Janine if it got hold of her. Then I got an idea.

_Hang on tight,_ I told Janine. Her grip on me tightened as I reared and dug my talons into the bark of the tree. Ignoring the throbbing pain in my leg I pulled myself up, making sure no part of my body showed to the monster.

Climbing the tree quickly and silently was easy. My body was built for noiselessly scurrying up walls and on ceilings. It's the only reason I managed to escape the humans that had held me captive alive.

I settled on a high-up branch, wrapping my tail around it for extra balance. Just in time, too. The human-thing had reached the spot we had been hiding in just moments before. It made another growling-clicking noise, sounding annoyed. It stayed there for a moment. Janine held her breath, niether of us daring to move. Maybe it'll think it was imagining things. If we should be so lucky.

Just as I was beginning to think it would get bored and walk away, it looked up.

It spotted us, and gave a roar that rocked me to my core. Unable to resist, I leaned down the trunk of the tree and shrieked, baring my teeth and letting my tongue shoot outwards. Then I turned and leapt across to another tree. Janine gasped, her stomach doing flips, and the monster gave chase, also taking to the trees and jumping nimbly between them as easily as I did.

The monster kept pace with me. I sensed something flying through the air toward us. I jumped and landed heavily on the ground. Something long and narrow thudded into the tree trunk above us, right where Janine's head would've been. I screamed again in anger. No more!

I spun around to face the monster. Janine was terrified.

_Slink, what are you doing! You can't fight it! It'll kill you!_ She cried. The monster flew out of the trees and landed in front of us, bent down in a crouch to absorb the shock.

Slowly, it rose. For a moment we just stood there, watching each other. Sensing it glance at Janine, I crouched and hissed threateningly.

_Dare touch her and you _will_ regret it,_ I snarled mentally at the monster, not even sure if it could hear me. Apparently it did, because I felt it's head jerk in surprise, as though someone had just raked their claws down it's face. The monster quickly recovered. It stared at us and made that odd clicking noise again. It cocked it's head to one side regardingly, then lifted one arm. A long metal thing shot out of the thing he was wearing on his wrist, most likely a weapon. I snarled and prepared for a fight.

"Wait!" Janine slid off my back and moved to stand by my head.

_Janine!_ Alarm shot through me. She touched my face consolingly, though she was still frightened. I growled as Janine turned back to the monster. It was watching, still threatening to attack just by standing there, but seemingly interested. _What will it do now?_ I wondered. If it tried to harm her...

Fortunately, we didn't get to find out what it would've done, because just then a huge white van came crashing through the trees. The monster sprung out of the way before it could get mowed down.

"Jack!" Janine ran up to the van as it skidded to a halt. The the side door opened and a female stuck her head out.

"And Cerra," she said,grinning. I trotted up behind Janine, unwilling to let her get too far away from me.

"Woah," the one called Cerra said. "What is-"

"No time!" Jack called from the front. "Get in!"

Janine jumped in next to Cerra. I hung back, unsure. Cerra grinned.

"C'mon, then! Any friend of Janine's is a friend of mine, regardless of species." I was still uncertain, but a furious roar on the other side of the van made up my mind. I climbed inside, and Cerra giggled as she and Janine squeezed against the wall to make room for me. I curled up at the back of the cabin. Janine slammed the door closed and I wrapped my tail around her, pulling her close to me.

"Step on it!" Cerra shouted. Jack did, too. I heard him slam his foot down on some kind of trigger and the van lurched forward. He turned the wheel and we turned sharply, back through the newly made trail. The van bounced and jerked uncomfortably, but at least it was safe.

A hideous howl sounded behind us. I shuddered, worried. That monster wasn't going to give up, even though we'd gotten away from it for now. It would continue hunting us, and probably wouldn't stop until Janine and I were dead, or it was. It was a Hunter. How I knew this I have no idea, but what I did know was that I had to protect Janine, at all costs. I would die before I let the Hunter have her. It was my fault that it was even targeting Janine, so it was my responsibility to keep her safe.

Janine very gently scratched me under the corner of my jaw. I tilted my head up and purred, hearing Cerra giggle again.

For now, at least, things would be alright.

_**How convenient. Jack and Cerra to the rescue! Now before you all say that this doesn't make sense, let me explain. Jack drove to town and sat in the Shack waiting for Cerra, when he came out of the trance Janine had put him in (I hope you all had already gotten that). Town wasn't that far away from where Jack left Janine, so Jack got up and ran back to where he'd parked the van just as Cerra pulled in on her bike. Jack tells her to get in and of course tells hereverything about what's happened. Cerra, being the eccentric that she is, believes him and together they plow through the woods following where Jack guesses they've probably gone. Naturally he guesses right and gets there just in time to almost run over a Predator (which he didn't see because The Pred was using his cloaking device. Invisibility has no meaning to those without eyes [quote from AVP comic]) and save their sorry carcasses from becoming grisly trophys for Pred's trophy case. Lol sorry. Well, there you go. Please review and tell me if I'm doing anything WRONG. D8**_


	7. Chapter 6

_**Okay, got this one done. I got to admit, this chappie was a struggle, thanks to a heavy dose of writer's block on top of a fairly severe allergy attack. I can't believe it. Allergies! I've never been allergic to anything before in my life! All I know is that whatever it was, it came under the cover of night...**_

**CH. 6**

** Jarar Than-guan R'ka**

Anger and frustration burned deep within the pit of my stomach. How could I have let it escape? It was there, right in front of me, and yet it still got away.

I don't understand. There was a small ooman female with it. She is most likely the reason the Hard Meat had preferred to run, rather than attack as it would be expected to. But _why?_ Why would a Hard Meat allow her to cling to it's back in such a way? Why would it bother keeping her near?

I recalled the way the ooman had ridden the Hard Meat. She balanced perfectly on it's back, her body shifting and swaying in harmony with it's every move. And when it had stopped, she showed absolutly no fear toward it, even stroking the mark my father had burned into it's forehead before turning to face me.

It was obvious they had formed a bond of some kind, similar to that of a Hard Meat Queen and her offspring, though much stronger and more equalized. How, I wondered, could that have happened? I had no time to ponder this, however. The Hard Meat, and now the ooman female as well, must be neutralized. By bonding with the Hard Meat, she had labeled herself a threat that must not be allowed to live.

Activating my camoflage, I leapt through the treetops, following the hard black path I had seen wheeled vehicle speeding down. Fast though I was, I would never keep up with the vehicle on foot. I was forced to trail behind at a slower pace.

Still, it should not be difficult to locate the Hard Meat and the ooman once I found the vehicle they had escaped in. With a twinge of remorse, I knew that it might be necessary to eliminate the two other oomans I had scented inside the vehicle as well. While I disliked the thought of having to kill them, they had aided the Hard Meat's escape, and thus interfered with my hunt; a crime for which the only punishment was a swift and painful death.

Soon the forest ended, giving way to vast fields of long, golden stalks that appeared to be grass, but had clusters of small seed pods at the tops. A breeze sent waves rolling across the fields, reminding him of an ocean or lake. Earth was a beautiful planet, no one could deny that. The only thing tainting it was the ooman species, who were slowly but surely causing the planet to deteriorate. There were some who had seen this problem and were working toward fixing it, but...

Growling, I shook my head. There was no time for such thoughts. I must continue with the hunt.

Still camoflaged, I sprinted throught the plains, following the black path that would lead me closer to my prey.

Order must be restored.

_**To all you reviewers, favoriters, and alerters, thanks again. I don't think I would've made it this far without your support. You're amazing, and I'm so glad you've decided to stick with me even this early into the story. *tears up with joy* Sorry if I'm being too sappy. Can't help it. ^^*  
**__**To RubyDracoGirl;**__** Thank you so much. You're my prime motivater for this fic, especially considering you've written a review for every chapter I've written so far. Much appreciated!  
**__**To SesshiraRayu;**__** No, only Slink and Janine are blind. As you should know from the previous chapters Jack has already met Slink, and is willing to put up with him being there since Janine seems so attached to the Xenomorph, despite the fact that Slink has taken a serious disliking to the poor nerd. And Cerra, well thanks to her martial arts teacher she's a bit of an eccentric; Sensei Me Lung has taught her to accept even the strangest and most alien (no pun intended) things in life, especially when it comes to her friends. :)**_  
_**To DaLover;**__** Lol Thanks. I'm sure that's the reaction I got from most of my readers! ^^**_


	8. Chapter 7

_**WOOT! Over 1,000 hits, and still counting! I know that's probably not a lot, but still! **_

_**That last chapter was kinda short but, judging by your reviews, I think I did a successful job of introducing my predator OC to y'all. :D  
Mmm'kay, so I raised the rating from T for teen to M for mature, cuz I just realized that Imma gonna need to put some cursing/violence/blood/gore into examples in this chap. It **_**is**_** an AVP fic after all. So, as always, you're awesome, and enjoy!**_

**CH. 7**

** Cerra**

Wow. Things were not turning out the way they were meant to. One moment I was pulling into the parking lot outside the shack on my bike, then the next I was sitting in the back of Jack's van crashing through the forest to rescue Janine from possible death. At least that was how Jack had put it. And on top of that it was raining and thundering now! We never would've had a good time at the Shack anyway, so I suppose this was a pretty interesting alternative. It was kind of fun, too.

Well, aside from the terrifying roars that were just outside...

Now though, as I look at Janine and her new alien friend I wonder; was she really in that much danger? I mean, yeah, I saw Slink's leg. I know he's hurt, but c'mon. He's like the most badassiest of all the badass looking guys I've ever seen. He's not even a _guy. _He's a shiny black skeleton-monster alien-beast from hell! I think he could've taken whatever had been after them.

Watching them, I smiled slightly. They seemed pretty close, almost inseparable.

Slink took up most of the back of the van. He was curled up against the back door, with Janine tucked safely into his side. His long, skeletal tail was wrapped tighlty around her waist, and his elongated head was curved around her so that his chin rested on her knee. I stifled another giggle. He was not about to let her go anywhere.

Janine was running her fingers up and down Slink's head, humming softly to herself. Feeling my gaze, she glanced up. She looked worried.

"What's wrong?" I asked. Janine looked back down at Slink. He shuddered,and she frowned, two lines formed a little number eleven between her brows.

"Slink thinks that thing's still hunting us."

I was quiet for a moment. I noticed that Jack hadn't said anything since they'd gotten back to the road. I understood. From what he'd told me Janine had put him under some kind of trance, like she'd hypnotised him. He said she made him wait for her at the Shack so that she and Slink could go off searching for the thing that was stalking them. Poor Jack. He was not a happy camper.

Turning back to Janine, I said, "Don't worry. I'm sure that whatever it was probably gave up by now. I don't think it could keep up with us on foot." She said nothing, but I could tell she was still concerned.

Slink lifted his head and nuzzled Janine under her chin, hissing gently. She rested her cheek on the top of his head.

"I know," she sighed. Confused, I looked at her, but I didn't ask, and she didn't offer any explaination.

Lightening flashed outside, followed a few seconds later by thunder that started as a quiet rumble, but then escalated into a tooth-rattling roar. Slink growled and buried his face into Janine's side. She grinned at him.

"What's the matter, love?" She said teasingly, poking his shoulder. Her voice was sickly sweet. "You're not bothered by a little thunder and lightening, are you?" I knew she spoke aloud only for my benefit, but I couldn't help but smile. Slink growled again and raised his head. I swore he was glaring at her.

Giggling, she hugged him, and he huffed at her. She swatted his forehead gently. "Oh, don't be such a grump. You know I was only playing." He hissed.

For a moment they just stared at each other. It looked like they were communing silently again. Finally Slink lowered his head back down onto her lap with a sigh. Janine resumed stroking his head, the corners of her mouth twiching upward, almost smiling.

Once again they lapsed into silence.

Huh. I could tell things were going to start changing around here, in more ways than one.

Heaving myself up, I climbed into the front passenger seat. I figured they needed some time alone. I dunno. That's just the way it felt to me.

Jack had been so quiet. I didn't really blame him. I'd probably be mad too if someone started controlling my mind. But I also didn't blame Janine. I knew she wouldn't do something like that unless it was an absolute emergency, which by the sound of it, even from Jack's point of view, it was. I believed Janine did the right thing; Jack probably would've done more harm than good being there.

I didn't say any of this though. I didn't say anything. With Jack it was best just to let him steam. Eventually he would come about it his own way, when he felt he was ready. It was no use pushing him. He would come around. He always did.

It was about another half hour before we finally pulled into Jack's parking space outside his apartment. It wasn't really his apartment. It was his thirty year old brother's. His parents lived in some kind of hippie convent that he adamently refused to have anything to do with.

His apartment was sort of our designated meeting place, since his brother was almost constantly gone; either out doing "band practice" with his friends or working part time at Arby's. We figured it would be a safe enough place where Slink could be without attracting any unwanted attention. Jack lived in the basement apartment, so we didn't need to worry about running into any body on the stairwell.

Quietly, we snuck across the parking lot, Jack running ahead to unlock the basement door with the spare key he always kept on a keychain arround his neck.

In the rain, the alien looked even glossier than before. He moved with surprising speed and grace, especially for such a large creature, wasting no time in following Janine inside. It was only moments before we were all huddled safely in Jack's tiny living room.

I giggled; it was just a little crowded.

Snorting, Slink seemed to decide it was a little _too_ crowded for him. He crouched and leapt straight up, twisting in the air so that he hit the ceiling on all fours. Astonishingly, he stuck there, crouching and looking down at us. I couldn't quite tell, (his face wasn't exactly very expressive) but I think he actually looked a little smug.

Jack glanced up at him and glowered.

"He better not ruin the ceiling like that, or that thing in the forest won't be the only thing he needs to worry about." Slink snarled, not loudly, but it was enough to earn a wary look from both of us.

"Slink!" Janine hissed, glaring up at the alien. "Don't say things like that!" He grumbled, and pressed his belly against the ceiling.

"Okay! So, who's gonna sleep where?" I said, clapping my hands together and rubbing them.

"I'm gonna sleep in my room. Either of you are welcome to the couch, my brother's room, or the floor. It doesn't matter. Extra pillows and blankets are in the closet by the bathroom. You know where to look." With that, he stalked off to his room without even saying goodnight or nothin'.

"Well, nighty-night to you, too, grouch." I mumbled. Janine just frowned, and Slink I noticed didn't move an inch.

We took turns making calls, me to my mom and Janine to the orphanage to let them know where we were and that we would be staying a night or two. Mom didn't like that it was on such short notice, but at least she didn't order me back home.

Going back into the living room, I saw Janine had set up two beds; one on the couch and the other on the floor, since neither of us wanted Jeremy's bed. She took the floor.

Slink still hadn't moved. It was kind of creepy. He was like an incredibly detailed statue that a very gifted artist had stuck to the ceiling. I couldn't help but think of how he'd be all but invisible in the dark, his black hide blending in perfectly with the shadows. Looking at his whole form, I realized for the first time how deadly he must really be. The ultimate killing machine.

I couldn't stop the shiver of fear that went shooting up my spine.

Slink did move then. He turned his head to look at me, studying me for a moment. Could he somehow sense my fear? I had no way of knowing. He continued to watch me, and I knew why Jack didn't like him so much. Having him looking at you... You couldn't even tell if he was really looking _at_ you, or if he was simply gazing in your general direction. Without eyes how could he even _see?_ I had a feeling he was as blind as Janine was. He was just better at sensing his surroundings.

Suppressing a shudder, I slipped under the covers and lay my head on the arm of the couch. Janine got back up and flipped the lightswitch off. I smiled, amazed that she could even tell it was on. Suddenly my insides froze.

Pitch darkness.

From all the times I've slept over here, it had never ocurred to me just how dark it was. Well, that was probably because I never had a killer alien as a roommate before.

I heard Janine quietly lay down on her make-shift bed and pull the covers up. My breath caught in my throat when a large shape dropped silently to the ground next to her. I knew it was only Slink, but I still found myself wishing that I had taken Jack's brother's room after all.

_**How did I even start this fic? I can't even remember what made me want to start writing this, but I'm glad I did.**_

_**RubyDracoGirl. You are so amazing. Thank you for dedicating your chapter**_** Outer Space Madness**_** to me. I think I'm still in shock. I loved it, especially the part when Kanani grabs a handful of Pshyco's dread-locks. Absolutely priceless! Seeing that, I just couldn't resist updating a new chapter to my own story. It's nowhere near as amusing, nor will my fic ever reach the greatness of yours, but I hope you still enjoy! This one's for you. 8D**_

_**To LynxbyLynx:**__** Lol, I know. Had to put poor preddie in danger. Bet he loved that. XD And thanks. I HATE glitter lotion :'(**_

_**To The Silent Hunter:**__** Thanks! It was actually more of a filler, though, but I'm glad you enjoyed it! :)**_


	9. Chapter 8

**CH. 8**

** Janine**

Rain pattered hard against the apartment building complex. I could hear it pounding against the asphalt outside. Lightning struck often, deafening peals of thunder sounding only moments after. Niether Slink nor I could get any sleep that night, though we were both exhausted from our run-in with the Hunter.

That's what Slink called it. The Hunter. From what I knew of it, the name fit it perfectly. It moved so silently and expertly through the woods, making just as little noise as Slink did. It gave the impression of many years of experience...

Thunder shook the building; I could feel it all the way down from the basement!

Slink nuzzled his head under my arm. I rolled over on my side to face him. Reaching, I stroked the symbol on his forehead with my thumb, trying to comfort him.

_Wimp._ I murmured. He said nothing.

I felt for his thoughts, and he let me enter his mind, trusting me as easily as someone would a friend they'd known for years. I probed his mind, seeking information about how his mind worked. It was something we both had taken to doing on the drive from the forest.

He was thinking of the Hunter. He was afraid. Not for himself, but for me... and for Jack and Cerra as well.

_I thought you didn't like them._

He resisted the urge to hiss, not wanting to wake the sleeping girl on the couch above us.

_I don't._ He paused. _But you do. I know you would hate yourself if they were injured... or worse._ I winced at that last part and looked down. He continued, his voice soft in my head. _It's not your fault. It's mine. I should've never contacted you. I've done nothing but put you in danger, and now..._

I waited for him to finish, holding back on arguing with him.

Sighing heavily, he finally whispered, _And now I can't leave you. The Hunter has seen you. He knows your face. He will keep hunting you, even after he's killed me._ Remorse came off him in waves. Slink lay his head on me, his chin resting in the small curve of my waist.

_I'm sorry._ He said, shuddering.

_You have nothing to be sorry for._ Confused, he lifted his head and stared at me. Propping myself up on my elbow, I took his chin in my free hand and pulled his face close to mine, staring him straight on. Then, leaning forward, I pressed my lips softly to his forehead, right on his mark.

Surprise jolted through him, mixed with a strange happy feeling he couldn't make sense of.

Pulling back, I smiled. I stayed quiet, leaving him to sort out his now muddled thoughts.

Finally he looked at me._ What... was that?_ I wasn't quite sure myself. I shrugged.

_I dunno. Just felt like doing it_, Thinking a moment, I added,_ I needed to let you know that I chose this. I knew that things were going to happen. Not exactly the way they have been, but still._ I grinned up at him.

Thunder rumbled again, but we both ignored it. Sitting up all the way, I leaned forward and hugged Slink tightly around his neck. He leaned into me, purring happily.

Unfortunately, the moment could not last.

A loud crash, like a glass window shattering, came from the floor above us, followed by a heavy _thud! _Then a blood-curdling scream, which in turn was succeeded by a monstrous roar.

The Hunter was back.

And he had picked the wrong room.

Cerra's eyes snapped open, wide and terrified. She looked at me and Slink. We were now both on our feet, standing stock-still in the middle of the living room.

The lights came on. Jack was there by the lightswitch.

The woman upstairs was screaming profanities at the Hunter that had mistakingly invaded her living quarters. He roared back at her.

Stomping, and more crashes. The woman's screaming intensified, and I could make out some of the things she was shouting;

"You f!#ing punk! Get out of my apartment!" Yet another crash, this one sounding like fine China falling to the floor. "AAAAHH! My _vase!_ Look what you've done! That was a gift from my NIECE! Get out! Get out get out get OUT!" A series of heavy footsteps, and another thud, and another roar.

I looked at Jack and raised my eyebrows. He grimaced.

"Mrs. Francis. _Never_ get on her bad side." Something slammed into a wall above us, punctuating his statement. The monster howled furiously.

I could hear other muffled shouts coming from separate raooms, all sounding annoyed, until they saw the beast that was now stumbling through the hallways. Then they started screaming. Doors slammed shut as people locked themselves back into their apartments.

Cerra jumped up. "Well, what are we waiting for? Lets get outta here!" No one argued.

We ran for the exit. Slink clambered up the wall, hanging above the door while he waited for the rest of us to get out first. Slipping out after me, he shoved his head between my legs and lifted it, forcing me to slide backwards onto his back.

_Slink, what're you doing?_ Alarmed, I read his thoughts. _How-?_

_ No time for questions._ He hissed, and sprinted off with me into the rain, ignoring the shouts of my friends behind us.

Oh, God, I hope this works.


	10. Chapter 9

_**Gah! I never meant for it to turn out like this! This fic is starting to turn into vomit that I've somehow learned to spit up onto the internet . It's kinda discouraging. Maybe I should just stop now before people start telling me to... *goes to hide in corner while finishing this chap* :( But then again... **_

**CH. 9**

** Jarar Than-guan R'ka**

I examine the wheeled, box-shaped vehicle that was parked (thankfully) under a large tin covering. I was not cloaked; my camoflage was useless in this downpour.

Kneeling down, I inspected the front end of the vehicle. There was grass, leaves, bits of dirt and other debris trapped within the treads and the grooves in the headlights. Yes, this was the one. I was sure of it. The scent left behind by the oomans and the _kainde amedha_ completely vanquished any doubts I may have had about them hiding here.

I growled, remembering exactly why I knew this vehicle so well. One doesn't find it easy to forget when two tons of steel comes crashing in your direction, intent on making you it's own special kind of trophy.

I turned my attention to the tall building across from the vehicle. That must be where they had taken shelter from the storm. But there were so many rooms...

_"Paya,"_ I muttered, and made my way over to the building.

Suddenly, my tracker went off. Apparently, they were close, on this floor even.

Rounding the corner, following the directions my tracker was indicating, I stopped at a window. According to the device in my helmet, they were just on the other side of this thin sheet of glass. I should have no problem breaking through unharmed. The time was late, so they would all be sleeping. I was a bit surprised, though. I had never expected it to be so easy.

Little did I know how wrong I was.

With a growl I lunged forward, ramming my helmet and shoulders into the glass. Flipping once, I landed on my feet, shattered glass raining down over me. A light came on, and I sensed movement a little ways off to my right. I turned toward it, snarling.

It was an elderly ooman woman. She stood there, staring. I noticed she was wearing a long pink robe. Her greyish-white hair was done up in ubsurd little cylinders, and she was carrying a long stick that had what looked like thousands of bristles at the top. A broom, I remembered it was.

Then, taking in the damage I'd done, her face twisted in an expression that could only be rage. She screamed what sounded like a war-cry and charged at me, broom raised above her head like a weapon. Her attack caught me off guard, and she swung the broom downward in a chopping motion, hitting me square on the top of my head.

It did nothing to damage me of course, but it did make me rather angry. How dare she challenge me in such a way! I roared in her face. She was unfazed, and swung at me again.

Twisting, I side stepped around her. She missed, but spun around with surprising agility and the broom hit my arm. Then, seeing no damage was done, and screaming what I believed to be curses in the ooman language, she charged again, this time smacking me repeatedly over my head and shoulders with fast, consecutive blows.

I couldn't harm her, though I wanted to. My honor wouldn't permit it. There was nothing I could do to defend myself except raise my arm and try to back away.

Unfortunately, my elbow bumped an object off a table, wich then crashed loudly to the floor, shattering it. It must've been valuable to her, because her screams escalated into a shriek that was not unlike the kind of noise a Hard Meat made. She then began to pound me with a fresh barrage of her broom.

Struggling to get away, I felt something behind me catch my leg. For a moment I thought it was another attacker, coming from behind, until I tripped and fell backwards over it. Wood splintered all around me, and I saw it was only her table.

Both the woman and I roared again. I could hear people out in the hallways, annoyed at having been woken in the middle of the night. My radar also caught movement directly below me. I realized with chagrin that it was the Hard Meat and the oomans I was hunting.

Howling furiously, I leapt up, throwing the remains of the ooman's table into a nearby wall, barely missing the woman. Turning, I ran. I ducked my head and aimed my shoulder at the door.

It proved to have little resistance against me.

The door flew off it's hinges and into the far wall. The other occupants of the building screamed and hid back inside their homes when they saw me. Ignoring them, I sprinted down the hall, busting down another door to get back outside. I could still hear the ooman woman yelling curses at me.

Tires squeeled and I turned, snarling as I saw my prey's vehicle speeding away. I started after it, paying the pouring rain no mind as it spattered against my helmet and shoulders. I didn't get far. Just then something large, hard, and heavy slammed into my side, knocking the breath out of my lungs.

It was the Hard Meat.

The black monster forced me up against the side of the building, holding me there by my throat. I grasped at it's hands, but without air I was too weak to rip them free. I tried to kick it off me, to reach any one of my weapons, but they had already been removed.

_C'jit!_

It had it's lips drawn back, globs of saliva dripping down it's chin, the rain bouncing off it's domed head. Hissing again, it's jaws opened and it's inner mouth sliding out, coming within inches of my mask. Disgusting creature. I could not believe it had defeated me so easily. There had to be some way to escape it's grasp...

As though it could read my thoughts, it's grip tightened on my throat, and it hissed with satisfaction at my pathetic struggling. I couldn't breathe. There was no air. Blackness formed at the edge of my field of vision, threatening to over-take me...

A voice called out. The _kainde amedha _paused, snarling softly over it's shoulder, before turning back to me. Growling, it reluctantly loosened it's grip enough to allow me some air, but not enough that I could fight back.

A small figure materialized out of the darkness. She was soaking wet and her green eyes were wide. It was the ooman female that had been riding the Hard Meat. She watched me for a moment, a thoughtful look crossing her face. She then glanced at the Hard Meat, and nodded.

The _kainde amedha _snarled. It lifted me up then slammed me hard against the cement wall.

Everything went black.

_**Yep, yep, yep. Got this new chapter done. Didn't wanna keep y'all waiting long. :P In case you haven't noticed, (and I sincerely hope you have) I have added a couple words from the Yautja language, becuase this is a Yautja telling this part of the story. And just in case you don't know what they mean, I've added the words and their defintions down below. Worry not, I am doing quite a bit of research for this fic. I want it to be as authentic as possible. :)**_

_**Paya- God/Conquering warrior. In this case, Jarar is basically saying "Omg, I can't believe this." Y'know what I mean.  
C'jit- A much loved curse word, known to us as "Shit!"  
Kainde Amedha- Hard Meat, a term for xenomorph**_

_**To DaLover:**__** Lol, yeah. *giggles* You made me want to rewrite that in Jarar's view, thus helping me out of possible writer's block. Thanks for the review!**_

_**To The Silent Hunter:**__** Sorry about the cliffhanger. I can tell I'm gonna be notorious for that -.- Well, at least now you know what Slink's plan was! **_


	11. Chapter 10

_**Wow. I am so amazed that you guys are enjoying this. I am not worthy of your attention!**_

_**BTW, it was LynxbyLynx who gave me the idea of the poor Hunter getting into the apartment, though I don't think she meant it like that! The old lady was actually inspired by the one in **_**Predator 2,**_** where he goes into the old ladies bathroom to heal himself, then crashes through her door and through the wall. Lol! That was my favorite scene in the whole movie. ;D (Oh gawd I hope you all know what I'm talking about. D8)**_

__** CH. 10**

Slowly, groggily... painfully... I opened my eyes. I was lying under a conopy of trees, surrounded by thick bushes. How did I get here? I had been hunting the Hard Meat and the ooman female, and I remembered breaking into the building they were hiding in...

Memories flooded back, and I remembered being attacked by the old ooman woman with the broom, and I was suddenly glad that none of my clan brothers had accompanied me on this hunt. They probably would've died laughing. And then the Hard Meat-

The Hard Meat!

I rolled backwards and onto my feet, coming up into a defensive crouch. I looked around for the beast. There was no sign of it.

I felt confused. Surely it would've shown itself by now. But then again, maybe not. The _kainde amedha_ are tricky creatures. I have known them to lie in wait for hours, poised for the opportune moment to strike.

I checked the motion tracker built into my helmet. There were a few blips showing some small animals hiding around the area, but nothing else.

Part of me was a bit relieved. That Hard Meat was larger and much stronger than others I have encountered. I underestimated it, and I would do well to take the time to prepare better for our next encounter.

The other part of me, however, was still confused. As far as I knew, the Hard Meat hadn't harmed me, instead knocking me unconcious and apparently just leaving me here in the bushes. I remembered when it had me up against the wall. I hadn't thought about it much then; nearly suffocating tends to narrow your thought process, but now, I realized that the Hard Meat had shown _emotion._ Satifaction when I could do nothing to fend it off, and irritation just as the ooman showed herself.

Perhaps the experiments my father preformed _had_ had an affect after all...

Gah! No! That was ludicrous. My father had nothing to do with this.

But then why hadn't it killed me?

Actually that was obvious. The ooman had simply told it not to.

_Why,_ though?

Shaking my head in frustration, I turned and headed back in the direction of the tall building. Perhaps there I could pick up a trail. At least it wasn't raining-

Something caught my ankle and I stumbled. Now it chose to attack!

Catching myself, I whipped around to face my adversary. I let loose a challenging roar at...

My wrist gauntlets.

It was then that I realized I wasn't wearing any of my equipment, only my _awu'asa._ I stared dumbstruck at my guantlets, then at all the rest of my weapons and tools that were strewn across the ground around the area where I had awoken.

_What!_

Were they toying with me? I know the _kainde amedha_ had stripped me of my weapons when it captured me, but why leave them with me? Why give them back? Were they suicidal? Of course, I was glad to have all my equipment, but it just didn't make any sense.

I moved to pick up my tools, but then hesitated. What if it was some kind of trap? Somehow I doubted it was. There was nothing on my motion tracker that was any larger than a small rodent, let alone anything the size of the Hard Meat. Besides, if they were going to attack me, they'd have done it already, while I was vulnerable.

Which only made this even more confusing. All my equipment seemed to be in perfect working condition, not sabotaged as I expected it to be. Strapping everything onto where it was meant to go, I then tested the funtion of my plasmacaster on a nearby tree, producing a small rather satisfying explosion. As I did this I wondered; what kind of madman would arm his enemy, and then leave him free to continue hunting?

The only reason I could think of for anyone to do such a thing was if the "enemy" wasn't considered an enemy.

That thought made me stop.

What if they didn't think of me as an enemy? Strange, I know, but it was the only explaination I could come up with. By letting me live and by returning my weapons to me, were they trying to tell me that they didn't wish to fight? It made sense, in a way.

Contemplating this, I extended one of my _dah'kte_. Absently, I stroked a claw down the sharp edge, wondering vaguely how the _kainde amedha_ had managed to remove these so quickly.

Purring, I retracted my blades and turned.

I had never originally wanted anything to do with this hunt. By taking it I was forced to delay my _chiva_, and thus increasing time it took for me to become Blooded. I was not known for my patience.

So fine. I would give them an alternative to death. However, kindness isn't one of my virtues. Though I had been sent to hunt and kill the Hard Meat, my father did let on that he would much rather it be brought alive, saying it was a valuable specimen for his "research."

I would find the Hard Meat and the ooman female, and I would bring them back with me. Then my father could deal with them.

Finally, I ran back through the trees to the area I'd been attacked. It wasn't long until I discovered a path, marked by sensors in my helmet. Normally, the trail wouldn't have been this easy to find. Wether they left it on purpose or were simply being clumsy I didn't know. Either way I was cautious. I had learned the hard way that things were never as easy as they seemed.

_**Yay! I can't believe how fast I'm updating. I am on a ROLL this week! And guys, sorry if the chapters are short. They seem so much longer when I'm typing them! D8**_

_**New words, plus old ones in case you forgot and are too lazy to go back a chapter and look up their meanings here:**_

_**awu'asa- Armor  
dah'kte- wristblades  
chiva- trial/test  
kainde amedha- Hard Meat**_

**To LynxbyLynx:**** Yeah, thank for the idea. Lol, sorry I just love the idea of a big tough guy getting his butt creamed by an old lady. Expect more embarrassment for the big guy later. XD**

**To RubyDracoGirl:**** (X3) Lol, so glad you like Cerra! I think she gon' be hilarious! Also, loved that you find the last two chapters funny. They were fun but kinda hard to write XP I'm no good with that kind of thing. *giggles at image of broom to the face***

**To Dalover:**** Yes, you were a big help. :D Lol, you pointed out a tiny flaw (Oh noes!) about the wristbaldes, so I added a bit of a cover-up. Not much, but I think it'll do. :) And yeah, I like to update fast. I hate keeping you lovely reviewers waiting! X)**


	12. Chapter 11

_**Okay, so I dunno if you guys noticed, but something was seriously **_**wrong**_** with last night. I would've had that last chapter up sooner but it wouldn't even let me log on! They must've been updating the site... *sigh* O well, I'm glad the problem was fixed so you all didn't have to wait long. (I took my frustration out on the hapless Marines in the Alien campaign of the (Xbox 360) **_**AVP **_**video game. Lol, morons. They never look up. XD) **_

__**CH. 11**

** Jack**

"Take me home! Right now!" Cerra sceamed. I winced.

"Cerra, quit yelling-"

"I'll do as I damn well please! Now get me home!"

Ugh. She'd been hollering at me ever since that alien took off with Janine... again. I took my eyes off the slippery road long enough to shoot an angry glare at her.

"There's no time," I growled. The road glistened wetly before us. "For all we know that thing's ripping them apart as we speak. There's no telling what it might do to us if it caught up." She didn't have to ask who "them" or "it" was.

Her eyes widened in disbelief. "So you're _running away? _Jack,they need our help-"

"And how do you think you'd be helping by running off to your house, huh? The most you'd be doing is leading it straight to your home!"

I wasn't looking at her, but I could feel her staring at me. For a moment she was silent.

"Get me. The fuck home. _Now._" She said finally. Her voice was low and steely. I glanced at her in surprise and immediately wished I hadn't.

Her gaze had turned icy-cold and her face looked as though it had been carved out of pure granite. The phrase _If looks could kill_ suddenly held new meaning for me.

Wordlessly, I obliged her, and fifteen minutes later I pulled the van into Cerra's driveway and parked next to her mother's red Mustang. Cerra slid out the passenger door without looking at me.

"Stay here," she ordered. "I'll be right back." She slammed the door closed and sprinted up the front steps of her porch. Reaching up, she plucked the spare key out from the top of the door, unlocked it and slipped inside, leaving the door slightly ajar. I noticed it was no longer raining, but water still dripped off the eaves of her house.

As I sat waiting, I wondered; when did I become their lapdog? Ever since Janine had found that creepy alien in the woods, I'd been following their orders left and right. First Janine made me fix Slink's leg, then she freaking hypnotized me into leaving her, and then after that I had to let them spend the night in my apartment because it was "the safest place they could go." Yeah, _that _worked out just swell.

And now, Cerra's made me drive her all the way home for God knows what reason, while Janine... I don't even want to think about what could be happening to her.

Snorting, I shook my head at how rediculous things were all turning out to be. This was supposed to be a normal day hanging out with my friends. I couldn't believe how fast...

Cerra came out of her house just then, holding... Oh, shit.

Pausing at the top of the steps, Cerra deftly strapped her two Katana's on her back with practiced ease. She then jogged up and got into the back, since her swords wouldn't allow room for the front. Cerra crouched, positioning herself in between the seats. She looked up at me.

"Black belt, remember?" she said softly, and I couldn't help but smile.

** ~X*X~ **

**Cerra**

Okay. We were officially back in business. I had my dual Katana's and Jack, well, he was just happy I wasn't strangling him for his little "outburst."

I grinned, thinking about how both my mother and Sensei Me Lung would murder me if they knew I kept my babies sharp (how I managed to hide that fact is a mystery even to me). My swords were my prized posessions, and they weren't just for show, either. I practiced with them every day, sparring with Sensei and the computerized program that was designed to hone fighting skills to perfection.

When I held them, they were like extensions of my arms. Perfectly balanced and lightning fast, they were one of the main reasons why my fellow students hated sparring with me.

I always had them in a padded foam sheath to keep from harming those I practiced with, but now, once I found the monster that was messing with my friends, I could unleash the full fury hidden within the gleaming silver blades sheathed on my back.

I was fairly confident that I would at least be able to distract the monster long enough for Slink to get a good shot at it, even if I didn't pose much challenge for it.

Giggling quietly to myself, I remembered the monster-Hunter-whatever-it-was crashing through the upstairs apartment. Then I stopped. This thing may have picked the wrong apartment, but that didn't change the fact that it knew we were there. It had foound us so fast, too! It was almost an hour-long drive from the woods where we found Janine and Slink, and yet the monster got to us in less than three! On foot! How did it do that?

I glanced up at Jack. His dark brown skin looked almost black in the dim green light coming off the dashboard, which reflected off his thick glasses with an almost eerie glow. Jack had all his attention focused on the road ahead. His grip on the steering wheel was so tight his knuckles were turning pale. Was there something wrong with him? I couldn't tell; it was too dark to see his face.

Suddenly, he yelled and slammed his foot down on the brakes. Tires squeeled, and I was thrown forward into the backside of the passenger seat with a gasp. Swerving, Jack worked frantically to straighten the vehicle. Now I was being tossed around the van like an overgrown ragdoll. Reaching out I grabbed the curtain railing above one of the large windows and stopped myself just before slamming into the wall.

I then got the sensation of weightlessness and my stomach flipped. I felt like we were upside down. Jack screamed something, but his voice was lost under the sudden shriek of twisting metal as the van impacted violently with the Earth.

I screamed as I was flung downward, narrowly missing impaling my forehead on a viciously pointed piece of debris. I did however, scrape several parts of my body on various other sharp objects, and eventually was wedged rather painfully between the wall and what I believed to be part of the floor.

There was a rather hideous screeching sound as what was left of the van ground across asphalt, before it finally shuddered to a stop. Dazed, I took note of the fact that my Katana's were completely unharmed, still strapped safely to my back.

I didn't feel the pain in my leg until then.

Agony clawed up my thigh and I screamed again. Looking down, I realized that the section of floor that had me pinned against the wall had pierced my thigh, all the way down to the bone if the horrible scraping coming from deep in my leg was anything to go by. I was bleeding badly, and I knew if I didn't get help soon I would die from blood loss.

A terrifying thought came to me.

"Jack!" I cried. No answer. "_Jack!"_ Still nothing.

I struggled, I trying in vain to free my leg. The pain was just too much. Sobbing, I tried again.

"_Jack!_ Dammit, answer me!" Frightened tears streamed down my face. Oh no. Oh no, no, no, no.

I was startled when the metal around me started to bend and tear away. I heard a growl followed by an agitated clicking noise. The metal roof around me (which I now saw was the wall I was against) groaned in protest as it was slowly peeled away from it's foundation.

The outside was revealed and I saw... rippling. The air literally rippled and shimmered like water, taking the form of an incredibly large man. Shock jolted through me, allowing me to forget my pain for a moment. It was _him._ The one who had been chasing after Slink and Janine, and the one who had accidentally stumbled into Mrs. Francis's apartment.

The pain returned though, worse than before. I forced myself not to scream again. For some reason I didn't want to show this thing any weakness.

The rippling in the air began to disappear. In it's place stood again, what looked to be a huge man. He was wearing a mask, and had dread-lock like "hair" crowning his head.

He was muscular, too. I mean, like totally _ripped_, with huge biceps, shoulders, and rock-hard eight-pack abs. But he wasn't bulky like Arnold Schwarzenegger. Instead he was built more lean and mean than big and bad.

The monster's skin was light yellowish-gold, with darker brown spots all over, like a cheetah. Strangely, the look fit him.

I gazed up at him, too terrified and in too much pain to do anything else. He cocked his head to the side curiously. Looking around at the reckage, he noticed my injury. A soft rumble, sounding almost like a purr, escaped his throat. He knelt down to examine my leg more closely, slowly reaching a clawed hand to prod around the egde of the wound. Sharp pain traveled up my leg and I gasped loudly.

Glancing at me, or at least I thought he did (what is with these aliens and being faceless?), he made a jerking motion with his hands indicating that he was going to pull my leg away from the metal. Sucking in a breath, I nodded.

Quickly, before I could prepare myself, he took hold of my thigh and pulled upward, freeing it. The pain was excruciating. I cried out, unable to help myself.

Forcing myself to be quiet, I grit my teeth. The alien-man watched me, and nodded as though approving of my reaction. Silently, he tapped the device on his wrist. The top opened, revealing a small compartment inside. He pulled what looked like a long syringe from it as well as a jar filled with blue jelly. Kneeling closer, he very suddenly jammed the needle of the syringe deep into my leg. Before I even had time to sream he withdrew the needle and was now applying the blue gel to the gash in my leg.

The pain was worse than anything I could've possibly imagined. I couldn't stop the shriek from from forcing it's way out of my lungs. Gradually though, the pain eased and I made myself be quiet once more.

The Hunter watched me closely. He seemed to be studying me like he'd never seen someone like me before. That was rediculous. He had to have seen at _least_ one other human-being. Just remember the old lady! The thought reminded me of something vitally important.

Jack.

I heaved myself up, ignoring the pain shooting up my leg. The Hunter made a surprised sound, but didn't try to stop me.

"Jack!" I called, and stumbled over toward the barely recognizeable front seats. "Jack, can you hear me-" My calls were cut off by a strangled scream. It took a second for me to understand that it had come from me.

Jack was sitting in the driver's seat, where he was supposed to be, all buckled in and everything. But he was leaning forward over the twisted steering wheel. His skull was busted open, like a cracked egg, his brains spilling out all over the mangled dash. Blood was everywhere. His thick glasses still sat in front of his eyes, remaining loyal for all eternity.

It would be a while before mind mind would actually process the fact, and even longer before I would accept it.

Jack was dead.

_**Phew. You have no idea how hard it was for me to write that. I was almost in tears myself. Shoot. Y'know when I started writing this chapter, I had no idea it would turn out that way. That's the way it is for everything I write. I just make it up as I go along.**_

**To DaLover:**** So you noticed somethin' was up, too, huh? At least I'm not the only one. And don't worry. You can put yer reviews anywhere, so long as I get to see 'em. :)**

**To RubyDracoGirl:****Good, I'm glad you like. Hope you get that chapter done soon. Looking forward to readin' it! :D**__

**To SesshiraRayu:**** Oh, yeah, definately! I'm gonna have fun with these two! *cackles evilly***

**To The Silent Hunter:**** Thank you! I appreciate the reassurance!**

_**BTW, sorry if my responses aren't as "happy" sounding as normal. This last chapter kinda bummed me out a bit. I never planned for this to happen, I swear! Also, it's 1:00 am, so I'm kinda tired, so forgive me if you find any spelling errors or typos or if it's not as well-written as my other chapters... zzzzzzzzzzzzz**_


	13. Chapter 12

_**Ugh... Sorry it's been so long. I know you guys are probably gettin' used to a new chapter every day or so, so again... SORRY! There's just been a few minor diffculties (I won't trouble y'all with the details) plus an idea for a new fic I'm planning on writing. Anyways, the last chapter was a shocker as you all said. I honestly never meant for poor Jack to die, especially not this early on. But, I don't really plan out my chapters; I just make it up as I go along, and I guess that's just the way things turned out.':l So now, lets get on with the story...**_

__**CH. 12**

** Jarar Than-guan R'ka**

I stood watching the ooman female as she stepped quickly back from the wreckage of her vehicle. Her eyes were wide with horror, and I knew that she had found her dead comrade. Guilt washed over me. It was my fault he was dead; once again I hadn't been paying attention, and had stepped foolishly out onto the road without looking for oncoming traffic.

Slowly the ooman regained her composure. To my surprise she shoved a hand into a small pocket attached to her leg garments and pulled out a small device. It was one of those portable communcation devices oomans loved to carry around with them, called "cell phones."

She flipped it open and pushed three of the tiny buttons, each making a quiet beeping noise as she did. I growled.

With lightning quickness, the ooman whipped around, and in one smooth motion pulled out one of the long sticks on her back and leveled the point at my throat, the cell phone pressed to her ear. I froze, realizing now that the "sticks" were actually weapons, similar to the _al'Nagara_ that were so seldom used by my kind.

She watched at me for a second, the sharp blade glittering dangerously. Finally she lowered the weapon and turned away, talking quietly into her cell phone. After a while she snapped the phone shut and stuffed it back into her pocket. The female then unsheathed her other sword and held them crossed in front of her. She just stood there, staring out into the shadows of the trees ahead of her, not advertising herself as a threat in any way, but I was still wary.

She knew how to use those swords, that much I could tell. The _al'Nagara_ were considered among the most dangerous of the bladed weaponry. Not many used them, because it took a fair amount of skill to be able to wield and use them effectivly, particularly when dual-wielded.

The ooman female turned to me again and spoke. I quickly checked my translator to ensure it was working.

"Why did you help me?" She asked. Her voice sounded pained. "Why didn't you just kill me? That's why you're here, isn't it? To hunt us?" She looked at me, and I could see she was suffering, not just phisically, but emotionally as well. The death of her comrade must have done more to her than I had originally thought.

"I mean, is there a specific reason?" She continued. "Like, are you just planning on using me to help find the others?" I didn't answer. Her grip tightened on the hilts of her blades, and I could see the muscles in her jaw working as she clenched her teeth. The ooman was about to say something else, when a voice interrupted her.

"Cerra?"

I turned quickly, recognizing the voice as belonging to the ooman female with the _kainde amedha._ The ooman was standing at the edge of the road a little ways off. She started to walk towards us, but stopped suddenly. She turned her gaze toward me, and I was shocked when I realized the ooman was completely blind.

"Janine!" The female behind me ran forward and threw her arms around the other. So those were their names; Cerra and Janine.

"Janine, I-" But she broke off as her body was racked by huge sobs. Cerra buried her face into Janine's shoulder, tears streaming down her face. I noticed she was still holding onto her swords as Janine murmured something in her ear.

Choking, Cerra stuttered, "I-I... It's J-J... Jack..."

"Yes?" Janine said, staring at her.

"H-he's... he's..." More sobs kept her from saying any more. Janine's brow furrowed with confusion for a moment. Then her eyes went round.

"No..." She whispered. Janine looked up at me over Cerra's shoulder, then back at her. She whipsered something to her. Cerra nodded and let go of her, and the tears finally stopped running. Janine stepped around her and walked with silent footsteps to the wrecked vehicle. Something hissed loudly in the trees behind us just as Janine was about to step into the vehicle. She stopped and looked back.

Following her gaze I saw a dark shape slithering down from the canopy of leaves. I switched the view in my visor, and the Hard Meat came out as bright green.

Snarling, I extended my _ki'cti-pa_ and slipped into a defensive crouch. Something suddenly slammed into me from behind and I was knocked forward onto my knees. My attacker stayed crouched on my back.

"Leave him _alone_." It hissed, and I realized it was Janine.

Roaring I leapt up, trying to knock her off me, but surprisingly she was already standing by the _kainde amedha_.

_Pauk,_ she was fast.

She had her hand on the Hard Meat's long head, gently stroking the sharp ridges in it's skull. It was leaning it's head into her hand, purring. Janine smiled tightly, and looked back at me.

"He's not dangerous. He's just a little... untrusting of strangers," she said softly.

I snorted. "Do you have any idea of exactly _what_ it is?" I growled, using the translator to change my words into words of their own language. Cerra gasped, and Janine gave me a sharp look not unlike one that the Elders often gave me for "being smart." She didn't look at all surprised that I had spoken to her.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. I know he's killed people before; he already told me that. And I know how he was born and what his kind does." Her blind eyes blazed like green fire, burning twin holes into my mask as she continued.

"I do not consider him a threat to my species because, one: He's male, and therefore couldn't 'repopulate' if he tried. And two: If he was going to go on a blood-thirsty killing-spree he would've done so already, and I doubt he would've let me anywhere near him while he was injured."

I had to admit, she made a good point. She was right, but the Hard Meat was still dangerous. There was no way she could know that the Hard Meat wouldn't turn on her. I didn't say this, though. For now, arguing with the ooman wasn't important. I needed to focus on my mission. My father would know more about this than I did.

Janine was now turned to Cerra, who had been watching us with a blank look on her face. I hoped she wasn't going into shock. I had enough problems already.

Janine hugged her. Switching my view back to normal, I saw tears brimming in Janine's eyes as she moved her gaze over the wreckage. She shook her head sadly and turned away. She grabbed Cerra's hand.

"C'mon," she said. "We need to go." Her voice broke, but no tears were spilled as she began to pull Cerra away.

I admired her courage. She was trying to remain a strong leader for them, even though I knew Janine felt weak for not being there to help them. I felt more guilt, but I shoved the feeling away. I had to stop them.

"Wait," I called. Janine and Cerra turned, and the Hard Meat growled.

I put my weapon away and shook my head.

"I'm not going to hurt you or the _kainde amedha. _I only wish to speak with you about... certain important matters." Cerra narrowed her eyes.

"And why should we trust you? One of us is already dead." Her voice shook slightly as she said that. I winced. "How do we know you won't just try to finish us off?"

"I never meant to harm any of you. This was an accident."

The Hard Meat lifted his head and hissed, his interest piqued. Janine glanced at him and stepped forward. She had a suspicious look on her face.

"What do you mean?"

_C'jit._ How was I supposed to explain to them how this had happened? They already hated me.

I sighed. I couldn't lie to them. I had a feeling Janine would know if I did.

"It was my fault." I growled. They stared. Cerra pushed past Janine. The Hard Meat hissed in annoyance, but she ignored him.

"You...?"

"Yes." I spoke to her now. "I was on the road when you and your friend came around the bend. Your friend tried to swerve out of the way-"

I didn't get to finish because Cerra screamed in rage. She raised her swords and rushed at me with alarming speed. Jumping into the air, she spun, swinging her swords around and down. I barely had enough time to parry her blows with my wrist guantlets.

I stumbled back as one of the blades cut into a bare patch on my left forearm. Green blood welled up, and though the wound wasn't deep, it still hurt. Those blades were _sharp._

I heard the Hard Meat snarl viciously. Cerra yelled as something jerked her back.

I saw the Hard Meat standing up on two legs, holding Cerra firmly by her upper arms. She struggled, kicking and screaming curses at the serpent. Janine ran over and quickly confiscated Cerra's weapons.

"Cerra," she said. "Stop."

"He- he killed him! I have to-"

"No, Cerra, you don't," Janine said calmly. "Fighting won't solve any-"

"No! You heard him! It's his fault we crashed! He's the one who got Jack killed!"

"Yes, I know that. But think about this; would Jack want you to risk your life for nothing? Do you really think you would win in a fight against _him?_" Janine hissed, pointing at me.

Cerra was still. She stared at Janine for what seemed like an eternity. Finally she lowered her head in defeat, and the Hard Meat released her, falling back down on all fours.

Sirens sounded in the distance, heading in this direction.

"It's the police," Cerra whispered. Her voice was toneless. "I called them earlier." Janine nodded.

"Let's go, then." She walked up to me. Looking up, she leveled her sightless eyes on mine.

"Take us to where ever it is you came from." I stared at her before nodding.

The Hard Meat growled and walked quietly up behind her. I bristled. It didn't feel right being so close to a _kainde amedha_ without attacking or being attacked. Janine reached back to touch the Hard Meat's forehead.

Janine closed her eyes and nodded. A single tear finally rolled down her cheek.

The sirens were getting louder, and I could see flashing lights through the trees. I grated my mandibles together at the noise and spun around, leading the way through the forest in the direction of my ship. Cerra sheathed her swords and followed, reminding me of the wound she had inflicted on my arm. It was already closed and healing, but I couldn't help but think about how much more damage she could've done had the _kainde amedha_ not pulled her away.

Janine and the Hard Meat lingered behind and I paused to wait. Glancing back I saw Janine facing the Hard Meat with her arm draped over his head. They were staring each other in the face, standing perfectly still.

_What are they doing?_ I wondered.

The "police" rounded the bend. Janine and her _kainde amedha_ broke away and ran to join us in the cover of the forest. I snorted and continued on.

I set a brisque pace and we all moved quickly away from the scene behind us. Cerra kept up with me with little difficulty, jogging beside me the whole way, though I noticed she was still favoring her wounded leg. Janine and the Hard Meat trailed a ways behind us but didn't seem to be having many problems either. I guessed they just preferred to keep to themselves.

My new companions were strange, to say the least. First we had an oddly-mannered _kainde amedha_ who seems to have formed a tight bond with a green-eyed _blind_ ooman female, and second we have what appears to be a female ooman warrior who can use dual swords with lethal skill.

"So." Cerra said, interrupting my thoughts. I looked down at her. "What are the 'certain important matters' you were going to talk to us about?" She glared up at me.

Growling, I said, "Two things; First, I need to expain what my mission on this planet was, and how cicumstances changed it."

I could feel Janine and the Hard Meat listening closely.

"Second, I'm now going to have to tell you _exactly_ what the _kainde amedha _is and what it was originally intended for."

"Wait, wait. _What?_ Kay... Kayd-" Cerra struggled to pronounce the word.

"_Kainde amedha._" I repeated, and waved a hand at the Hard Meat behind us. It-he, or whatever you want to call it- hissed. "That's the name we've given them. It translates into your language literally as 'Hard Meat.' They are also known more simply as serpents. I'm sure you could understand why." Cerra nodded. She looked over her shoulder at the two, who were now paying rapt attention.

"So what's the story behind this 'serpent'?" Janine called.

"I thought you already knew?" I replied mockingly.

"I only know what his instincts tell him. He doesn't remember anything about how he got here." Her tone remained calm, but I could tell I was irritating her.

"Pity," I muttered, and I heard her hiss in annoyance. "Fine. Here's the story..."

_**AAAAHHH! I'm so sorry! That is probably the mother of all the cliffhangers I will ever write! It's just that I'm a little short on time and there was a huge power-outage which made me lose all my story notes and what-not so I had to start all over and we're leaving soon and I'm working on the next chapter now and... Ah! *pause to gasp for breath* No, not really. I am typing after all... Anyway, I feel terrible now. First I don't update for almost a week and now when I **_**do**_** update, I leave off with a cliffhanger... *sigh* Owell...**_

**New word definitions:**

**Ki'cti-pa- Combi stick/spear/staff**

**Al'Nagara- Long sword**

**Pauk- Fuck**

**C'jit- Shit**

**To RubyDracoGirl:**** I LOVE that you love this! And yeah, also glad you found your jaw. Try to screw it on better, 'kay? ;)**

**To LynxbyLynx:**** Lol. No one gave Predy permission to inject her with stuff. And as you can see, she's perfectly fine! Well, maybe...**

**To DaLover:**** No, you are absolutely NOT a bad person for wishing Jarar to get his ass kicked. I had the same idea. However, I'm afraid the full on butt-whoopin' will have to wait for the training arena. (foreshadowing, I think?) Who knows. Perhaps I'll even have Janine join in. *Grins evily***

**To Harris Roberts:**** Hello, new reviewer. I know what you mean. Like I said before, though, I never meant for poor ol' Jack to die so early. Still, I really hope that doesn't discourage you from reading my story. Let me know if you think I'm going too fast and I'll try to slow it down for ya a bit. :)**

_**(P.S Ignore any mistakes/typos/spelling errors you see. I'm too lazy to go back and try to fix 'em right now. ^^*)**_


	14. Chapter 13

_**So my lovely readers, here's some info for ya; this chapter's gonna start **_**before**_** Jarar starts to reveal the secrets of Slink's past, just after Janine told Jarar to "take them to wherever he came from," 'cause some people wanted to know what Slink and Janine were saying to each other during their little moment on the highway. :) Enjoy!**_

**CH. 13**

** Slink**

Pain and sorrow flooded my thoughts as Janine stared in the direction of her dead friend. The emotions belonged to her, and were coming off her in pounding waves. I understood. Jack had been a good, close friend to her for a long time, far longer than I had known her, and though I hated to admit it, he did save my life. I knew if it hadn't been for him, I would've died from blood loss. The injury to my leg was completly healed now, little more than a mottled flaw in my chitin hide.

A fresh wave of grief thwarted my thoughts. Janine mewled mournfully, then silently turned to follow Cerra and the Hunter as they disappeared between the tree trunks, all the while kicking herself for not being with Cerra and Jack when they crashed.

Now _this_ was something I didn't understand. The Hunter had admitted that Jack's death was his fault, and yet Janine was still blaming herself. We both knew she'd had nothing to do with it.

The eerie wails of the sirens were drawing closer, but I had to say something.

_Janine,_ I called. She stopped.

I padded up to her and gently nuzzled her soft cheek with my forehead. She closed her eyes, and leaned her head into the side of my face.

She was so small, so fragile... The way Jack had been killed... It only served to remind me just how breakable Janine was in comparison to myself and the Hunter.

_It's not your fault,_ I whispered. _We never expected this to happen. I'm sorry about Jack's death. I know he was important to you, and I wish none of this had ever happened._ I hung my head in sorrow.

Janine moved so that she was facing me, draping her arm over my head. She rested her forehead against mine. I sensed her eyes were still closed.

"Thank you," she whispered out loud, and I felt gratitude replace most of her sadness.

An annoyed snort interrupted us, and we were both reminded of the approaching humans. I hissed quietly. Those sirens were starting to irritate me.

Together we bounded off the road and joined Cerra and the Hunter in the forest. The Hunter growled before trotting off in the other direction. Cerra kept up with him, staying at his side with Janine and I bringing up the rear.

Cerra and the Hunter spoke quietly to each other, which surprised me, especially considering the circumstances. Once, Cerra glanced back at us, at me in particular, and I hissed. I only half-listened to their conversation, being too preoccupied monitering Janine's thoughts.

But then the Hunter said something about hard meats and serpents, and Janine perked up. She had been absorbed into herself, remembering memories of her dead friend, but now she was very interested in what the Hunter had to say.

"...I'm sure you could understand why." He was saying. Cerra nodded and glanced back at us. Her fear scent grew stronger as she looked at me, just as it had in Jack's tiny apartment. Interesting.

"So what's the story behind this 'serpent?'" Janine called, brushing her fingertips over my head.

Serpent? I hissed in annoyance, and Janine smiled at my irked emotion.

_Don't be so sensitive. It's just a name he's given your kind. _She explained.

My kind? There were more of me? Growling inquiringly, I listened as the Hunter replied to Janine.

"I thought you already knew?" He said. I didn't like his tone. He spoke to her as though she wasn't worthy of his attention. I resisted the urge to leap forward and put him in his place. I imagined how pleasant it would be to feel to have my claws sinking into his flesh, drawing blood as Cerra's weapons had, and how I would just love to plunge my secondary jaws deep into his thick skull, tasting the blood mixed with gooey brains-

_Slink!_ Janine hissed in my mind. She didn't like where my thoughts were taking me.

I she said to the Hunter, "I only know what his instincts tell him. He doesn't remember anything about how he got here." It was then that I realized how hungry I was.

"Pity," the Hunter mumbled, and Janine hissed agitatedly. "Fine." He snapped. "Here's the story..." But he trailed off as I flung myself away from them, closing in rapidly on the small lifeform that I had scented nearby.

The tiny animal gave a terrified shriek as I fell upon it, but it's cry was cut short as I closed my jaws on it's head. It's fragile skull collapsed and hot blood filled my mouth. Thrumming happily, I finished it off quickly. The poor creature was barely more than a mouthful, but was surprisingly tasty.

_Slink?_

Startled, I spun, barely keeping myself from snarling as I faced Janine. She stood there, alarmed and more than a little bit frightened.

I hung my head, ashamed at my own lack of control, and for giving Janine reason to fear me.

_Janine, I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean..._ I stopped, more shame burning through me at my feeble attempts to explain. I knew she could smell the blood. She already knew what I had done.

Exhaling, I tried again, but Janine stopped me. She approached slowly. I whined softly and lowered my front end so that my chest was pressed to the ground, trying to make myself as un-threatening as possible. Janine smiled, and moved to kneel by my head. The bushes behind her rustled, and Cerra and the Hunter pushed through them, both stopping when they saw us. Cerra gasped, but we ignored them.

The Hunter trilled in surprise as Janine passed her hand gently up and down the length of my head.

_You have nothing to apologize for,_ she murmured. _Your last meal was probably days ago, and you were hungry. _She giggled and wiped some of the blood from my lips. _I'm glad you can catch your own food. You're a little messy, but at least I don't have to raid people's freezers to feed you. _ She grinned at me, and let her hand slide down under my chin. She scratched an indent just under the corner of my jaw. I pressed my head into her hand.

_Mmmmm..._ I felt a purr move from the pit of my stomach all the way up my throat, and finally escaping through my teeth. That felt _good_.

The Hunter shook his head, muttering something in his own language, and headed back in the direction he'd come. Cerra hesitated. Janine nodded at her, and Cerra smiled tentatively at us before she too disappeared into the foliage.

Janine trailed her warm finger tips down the tender skin on my throat, making a soft crooning sound as she did. Growling with pleasure, I pressed my face into her belly. She wrapped her arms around my head and hugged me tightly.

_Don't worry about scaring me away. If anything, worry about the Hunter. I have a feeling we're not going to like what he has to tell us._ Janine paused, then stood, pulling me up with her._ Still, _she said. _We better go see what he has to say._

Reluctantly, I followed her back to Cerra and the Hunter. They were both sitting across from each other with their backs against a couple of trees. Cerra was glaring angrily at the Hunter while he sat in stony silence. My skin crawled at the tension hanging in the air.

Janine took a deep breath and found a comfortable spot on the leafy ground where she could see the two warriors. I sprawled out behind her, resting my head on the ground and laying my tail out in a circle around her.

"So," Janine said to the Hunter. "You were saying?" The Hunter looked at her silently, as though wondering wether to answer her or not. I hissed angrily. How dare he think he was above her?

_Answer,_ I snarled in his head. Once again, I sensed his surprise when I spoke to him, but he didn't show it. He made that annoying clicking noise again as he spoke.

"You were never meant to be here, on this planet." I lifted my head when I realized he was addressing me.

"You were never even supposed to exist. You are nothing but a project, a failed experiment that my fool father let loose upon the universe." Janine hissed, but he continued.

"My father is a scientist. He majors in genetic engineering, and spends most of his days studying how certain changes in creature's genetic code affects behavior. He started with small, simple animals, then moved on to larger, more intelligent creatures. Namely the _kainde amedha_, your kind." I stared at him, waiting.

"Our clan has a _kainde amedha_ Queen that we use to breed _kainde amedha_ for hunting and training. Normally, only animal hosts are used for breeding, but my father prefers the type that is born from oomans." He waved a clawed hand at Cerra and Janine. They glanced at each other.

"Let me guess," Cerra said. "He came from a human." She pointed at me. The Hunter nodded, and I could feel him grinning.

"Yes, this one's host was ooman. A rather large one. He was nearly as tall as myself. He fought the entire time. Even as the chestburster clawed and bit through his chest he was screaming death threats at my father." He chuckled, making a strange huffing sound, like he was amused at the memory of me forcing my way out of the doomed person's body.

My lip curled up in disgust, both at the Hunter's indifference and at myself for having to kill just to be born. Janine leaned back agianst me consolingly.

"My father wanted only the strongest and fittest for his tests." The Hunter looked at me. "He deemed you the best specimen of the brood, and made sure you were in perfect condition, branding your forehead so that the trainers would leave you be, and even going so far as to keep you separated from your siblings in order to avoid fights. You were the only male born, and he did not want you injured." Janine rubbed the mark on my forehead with her thumb.

_So that's where that came from,_ she said. I smelled her hand, inhaling her warm scent to distract myself. The Hunter kept talking.

"He took you, and preformed changes to your genetic system, hoping to get the results he wanted. For a while nothing seemed to change about you; you were just as vicious and mean as any of the normal _kainde amedha_ used for training. Actually, you were worse. The Keepers described you as 'a snarling, slathering beast born for no other reason than to kill.'

"But then, after several seasons of genetic alteration, equivalent to about eight months here, your demeanor began to change. Soon you stopped throwing yourself at the cage walls. You no longer drooled, or snarled, or even hissed at the Keepers and my father during tests and feeding time. The treatments were working, and my father was overjoyed."

"What was he trying to do?" Janine asked quietly.

The Hunter snorted. "He thought he could create a 'tamer' _kainde amedha._ He was hoping that we might be able to control, and perhaps domesticate the _kainde amedha_, like you oomans have with so many of the creatures on this planet."

I felt him scowling. "That's why he's such a fool. He didn't make _it_-" He nodded his head at me. "-tamer. No, instead he made it _smarter._" I could feel the heat of his glare through his mask.

"You knew. Somehow, you were able to understand what my father was attempting, and you fooled him into believing you were safe enough to be let out of your cage. You took advantage of this and escaped. And not only do you now possess intelligence rival to that of Yautja, but fighting you is like fighting a Queen. Many Blooded warriors were killed by the time you made it to the ship yard.

"You managed to stow away in the cargo hold of one of the supply carriers just before it took off. The ship was headed to this planet, ironically on a mission to gather more ooman hosts. You killed off the crew, apparently timing your attack so that you would crash on the surface of this planet." The Hunter paused. I could feel his eyes studying me.

"I was sent here by the Elders of my clan to find and kill you. However, they didn't say it was absolutely necessary that you be killed. After all, as Janine said, you are male, and therefore cannot reproduce on your own." I bristled. He was hinting at something, and I had a good idea of what it was. Janine read my thoughts. Worry filled her mind, but she did nothing as we waited for the Hunter to continue speaking.

He leaned back against the tree, tilting his head to look up at the canopy of leaves above him.

"When I first landed here, I was expecting you to be just as violent and angry as before. You can't imagine how surprised I was to find you with a small, ooman female straddling your back." I sensed Cerra shift. She glanced at Janine quizzically, but Janine shook her head. The Hunter trilled quietly, his tone thoughtful. "And now I find that you can't remember anything of what happened."

Cerra giggled nervously. "Maybe he hit his head when he crashed and got amnesia." The Hunter looked at her strangely.

"So now what?" Janine asked to get the Hunter's attention off Cerra.

The Hunter turned to her. "Now, I need to take you, Cerra, and the _kainde amedha_ to my ship so that I can bring you back to my father." He said it matter-of-factly, like it was the most logical thing in the world.

At first there was silence. Then Cerra exploded.

_"WHAT!"_ She shrieked. The Hunter just stared as Cerra leapt to her feet. "You can't possibly believe we're gonna go for that! I have a family! I can't just take off into outer space to see some whack-job alien scientist! You've got to be outta your freaking mind!"

"Well," the Hunter said calmly. "Your only other option is death. I was just trying to be thoughtful and give you an alternative solution." He stood, extended his wrist blades and approached her. "But if you really insist on staying-"

_"No!"_ Janine cried. _Slink!_

She didn't have to say anything else.

Snarling, I leapt at the Hunter, tackling him to the ground. He roared and swung his blades at me, but I was too fast for him. I ducked, the blades slicing the air over my head. Then I jumped off him onto a tree trunk above the Hunter's head.

As he sat up I coiled the muscles in my hind legs. I spung off the tree and landed hard on his back. He fell forward onto his belly, and I shrieked in triumph. The Hunter struggled to get up, but I had him pinned.

I lowered my head next to his and hissed. The Hunter stopped struggling, finally realizing he was now at my mercy. He growled as Janine walked up. She knelt next to him.

"We will come quietly with you. But _only_ if you promise to have your father, or who ever is in charge in your clan, allow us our freedom. You will not keep Slink or me confined in cells. We will not be your father's little experiments. We will cooperate with your father by our own choice." She hissed. "If they don't agree to our terms, then we will fight for it."

The Hunter snarled. "They _won't_ agree."

Janine smiled. Her thoughts filled with images of a battle to come.

"Then they will regret the day they tried to keep us prisoners."

_**Ooooh, another cliffhanger. Wonder what's gonna happen next. ;)**_

_**To SesshiraRayu:**__** Yeah, it is a pity... :'(**_

_**To AnimeDreama:**__** Don't worry, there's plenty more chapters on the way. :D**_

_**To The Silent Hunter:**__** Shivers! Ahh! Yay! I'm glad you like it that much! **_

_**To:**__** I think DaLover. Sorry, it's not showing your name for some reason. ':\ I have a feeling Jarar's still got a major ass-whoopin' coming up, so just be patient. You'll get your wish!**_

_**To RubyDracoGirl:**__** Thank you! :D I'm so glad you're still reading this story. I swear to you and all my other readers/reviewers, that I will not stop until this fan fic is finished! *pounds fist on chest determinedly***_


	15. Chapter 14

_**Aah! My stupid dork of a brother thinks that I'm stealing ideas from other people's fics! So now I feel like I should do some kind of disclaimer, even though I've never read anything like my story before! Could you all do me a huge favor, and let me know if there's a story that has ideas similar to mine? I don't want people to think I'm stealing from them. :( Here's the disclaimer; **_**Any similarities between the characters, plot, or anything else that this story may have to someone else's is COMPLETELY UNINTENTIONAL! Everything that I write in this fic is what I made up on my own. I would never take ideas from someone's story and put it in my own, at least not without asking the original author and then giving them due credit. (However, I do not own AVP.) Meh. Sorry about the ranting. My brother just hit a nerve I guess. X^X**

** CH. 14**

** Janine**

I stood and Slink jumped off the Hunter's back. He shoved his head into my hand, making a deep thrumming sound in his throat. Slink had to duck to get his head under my arm. Amazed, I realized he had grown almost half a foot since I'd found him. Just standing on all fours, he was almost taller than me.

How had he grown so fast?

The Hunter growled angrily. Getting to his feet, he stalked off, beckoning for us to follow. We complied, and I was startled when Cerra pushed past me to get ahead. Slink growled at her to show his annoyance as she jogged to catch up to the Hunter. That was strange. Cerra had never acted that way before. Then I felt her look back to shoot a hideous glare at Slink.

What was _that_ for? Confused, I gently probed her thoughts, and was shocked by the gruesome images held there. I saw a man laying in a pool of blood with a gaping hole in his chest. He was obviously dead. A crimson trail lead from the body off to a nearby vent, which looked like it had been torn open.

I quickly pulled myself from Cerra's mind, shuddering. Slink, who had also seen Cerra's thoughts through me, nudged my shoulder fearfully. Pausing, I mounted him, grabbing his shoulder spikes and lifting myself onto his back. He purred as I leaned forward to lay in a jockey-style position.

_You'll never scare me away,_ I whispered to him. He purring intensified.

Slink started off in a trot. He moved gracefully and easily through the forest, making barely a whisper of a sound as we gained quickly on the two figures in front of us. Spotting Cerra near, I felt a mischievious grin spread across his face.

_She wants to act like that, fine. I'll show her what to be afraid of._ He muttered in my head.

_Slink, don't..._ I moaned.

Hissing a quiet laugh, Slink silently moved up behind Cerra. I stifled a giggle. Slink's nose wasn't an inch from the back of her neck, and she had no idea he was there!

Baring his teeth, Slink let a little saliva dribble out of his mouth. He hissed, quietly at first, then gradually getting louder until the sound was close to a snarl. Cerra froze.

Slowly, she turned, and came face to face with Slink's silvery teeth. Slink moved his head back so that it was an appropriate distance away, before parting his jaws with menacing slowness. Cerra stared, and I felt her fear growing. Her arm raised toward the hilt of one of her swords.

Shrieking, Slink shot his secondary jaws out at her forehead with blinding speed. The tiny teeth only just brushed the skin before disappearing back into his maw. Cerra cried out and fell back, her hand flying up to her forehead to feel for damage.

There was crashing up ahead, and Slink bolted away just as the Hunter appeared next to Cerra. He helped her to her feet, then turned to look out at the forest, sweeping his eyes over the wall of plants that surrounded us.

I grinned at the bafflement coming off Cerra when she saw she was unharmed.

_C'mon,_ I said to Slink. _Let's circle around behind and give them a surprise._ Pleasure surged through him as he slipped through the undergrowth, crouched low to make the best use of the shadows. I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing as the Hunter and Cerra looked in the complete opposite direction from us.

Finally Slink emerged from the bushes directly behind the Hunter. He lifted his head.

_Would you like to do the honors?_ He purred at me. I smiled and sat up straight.

"What's the hold-up?" I said loudly.

The Hunter and Cerra whipped around. I grinned at them over Slink's head, who couldn't contain his laughter. His head was lowered and I felt his sides quivering under my thighs. I patted his shoulder as he struggled to regain control over himself.

_Their... their expressions... I'm sorry. I can't-_ He broke off as another fit of laughter took him over.

Giggling, I looked up at Cerra and the Hunter. Cerra was staring in utter disbelief, while the Hunter glared with distinctly chilly emotions grounding him to where he stood.

Cerra stepped around the Hunter as Slink finally managed to recover himself.

"Janine, are you... _riding_ him?" She asked. I stared at her.

"Yes, I am. Is there a problem?"

"No..."

I gently stroked Slink's neck as she looked away.

_I think there is a problem,_ Slink said. He twisted, turning his body to get a good look at me. _She doesn't know where her loyalties lie._

I was quiet for a second, turning that thought over in my head.

_Let me down,_ I said softly. Slink growled and crouched. I swung my legs around and slid off his back, and beckoned to Cerra. She looked at me curiously.

"C'mon, I want to talk to you about something," I said. Cerra hesitated, eyeing Slink distrustfully. I sighed. She had been fine with him before Jack...

I forced myself not to think about that.

_Slink, will you stay back a minute?_ I asked him.

Slink gazed at me, judging my thoughts. Then he leaned his head forward to nuzzle me under my chin, a soft hum reverbrating in his throat.

_I'll be near,_ he murmured, and noislessly disappeared into the shadows of the trees.

The Hunter moved then, growling as he watched Slink go with obvious suspicion. However, he didn't do anything, having already had his butt handed to him twice trying to mess with us.

I kept my mind linked with Slink's and felt him settle in a tree that was close enough for him to leap down on us should there be any trouble. He didn't like being away from me anymore than I enjoyed being away from him. Slink brushed his mind gently against mine as Cerra moved closer to me.

"What do you need?" She asked warily. I shook my head.

"I just want to know whose side your on," I replied. Cerra looked down, not saying anything. I took a deep breath.

"Look, I'm sorry about scaring you before. Slink just felt like being a jerk-" Slink hissed in my head. "But he never meant any harm to you, and besides he's ready and willing to fight and protect you-"

"Janine, I _know," _Cerra interrupted. "It's not that, not really. It's just that, knowing what he is... Well, it changes things. Jarar told me about what Slink's kind does. Janine, he's a monster, and I think we need to get him off of Earth to a place where he can be contained..." Her voice trailed off when she saw my wounded expression. "Janine, I don't mean that he's evil. I mean that we can't risk letting him run free like he is."

"So basically you just want to lock him up in a cage like some kind of animal." My voice was flat.

"Janine..." Cerra started, but I shook my head to silence her.

It was one thing to have the Hunter try to do that kind of thing; he didn't matter. But _Cerra?_ My only surviving human friend? How could she? Slink had never hurt anyone that she knew of. He had done nothing to make her think he was dangerous... Well, besides the incident with the poor rabbit, but that was natural. The rabbit was prey to all sorts of predators, like mountain lions and foxes, but she wouldn't dream of blaming them for feeding themselves.

Wait a second. _Jarar?_ I guessed that must the Hunter's name. I wonder what else he told her while I was gone...

"Janine," Cerra began again. "How can you even think of defending him? He's a killer; a monster. That's all his kind knows how to do." She looked at me, pleading for me to understand.

Anger and hurt burned through me. Tears stung my eyes, threatening to spill over my eyelids, but I fought them back.

"And what about him?" I hissed, pointing at the Hunter, who clicked curiously. "Is he any better? From what Slink told me _his_ kind kills for sport, making trophies out of the body parts of their prey. Slink killed for survival, just like the rest of his species." The Hunter's clicking turned into a menacing growl.

"I thought you said it couldn't remember anything outside what it's instincts tell it." The Hunter said snidely.

"Well, you could say that after millenia of being hunted down for their skulls, the 'serpents' would know instinctually why they would need to be wary of your species." I pretended to look him up and down. "Though from what I've seen so far I can't really see what there is to be afraid of."

The Hunter snarled viciously and stepped toward me.

"Would you like to say that again?" He hissed.

I felt Slink jump down from his tree. He landed just behind the Hunter and reared up to his full height, now taller than the Hunter by at least a foot. The Hunter spun, just in time to catch a hard headbutt to the face. Snarling, the Hunter stumbled backward, but kept his footing.

Slink screeched angrily at the Hunter before trotting around him to join me at my side. He hissed warningly as the Hunter faced me.

"That Hard Meat won't always be there to protect you, pathetic ooman." He growled threateningly. I snorted.

"Yeah, well, for now he is, so I think it would be a smart idea to stop threatening to kill me, 'cause honestly, you only get your ass kicked every time." That stopped him short. He stared, and Cerra gaped.

I mounted Slink, and we started off through the forest. I looked over my shoulder at the two behind me.

"You coming?" I called back at them.

_Perhaps you shouldn't try to make the Hunter angry. He might be right._ Slink said softly.

I didn't respond, just lay forward across his back, stroking his lithe sides, feeling the lean muscles rippling underneath my fingers. I pressed my cheek to his neck, just listening to his breathing.

_Who cares?_ I thought to myself. I had just lost my two best friends in the world, both to that horrible Hunter. All I had was my sanity, or what was left of it, and... Slink.

Reaching up, I trailed my fingertips up and down the smaller, middle spine in between his shoulder blades. Hissing gently, Slink paused, allowing the Hunter to run ahead. He was leaping from tree to tree to move through the forest more quickly.

Cerra jogged past a few seconds later, making a point of avoiding coming within a five feet of Slink. We payed them no mind.

Instead of following, Slink veered off to the right, sill heading in the general direction the Hunter wanted us to go, but going our own way.

I don't know how long we walked, ran, and sprinted through the forest, only that it must've been several hours, maybe more, because I could feel a few rays of sunlight streaming through the trees. I was also now keenly aware of how tired and hungry I was. The last thing I remembered eating was a granola-raisin nutrition bar that the caretakers of the orphanage had given me yesterday morning.

Urg. I hated raisins, but right now anything sounded appetizing.

However, it was nothing compared to what Slink was feeling now. His long, segmented tail drooped, brushing the ground, and his head hung. Hunger clawed painfully at his belly, and I knew he was about ready to collapse onto the ground. He never complained, though; just kept right on going, determined to make it.

I sat up on his back, no longer able to stand watching him struggle like this. Slink stopped and turned, startled by the sudden movement on his back after stillness for so long.

Fotunately though, I sensed that the others had stopped. I touched Cerra's mind briefly. It seemed like the Hunter had decided we should rest here for the day. Good. We could both use a good rest.

_Can we hunt? _Slink asked. I smiled and rubbed his cool, hard shoulder reassuringly.

_No, not yet._I said. _I don't want to leave Cerra alone with the Hunter for too long._

Slink snorted in disbelief._ You're still worrying about her? They're practically allies now, or didn't you hear?_

_ I know, _I whispered.

Slink stopped running, grinding to a halt next to a large tree. Distractedly, I reached out to touch the trunk, feeling the rough texture of the bark that was characteristic of a pine.

_Janine?_ He said, turning his big head towards me. I didn't respond, just continued running my fingers over the tree trunk. I could feel my mind slipping into the withdrawal that had been threatening to take me from the moment I found out that Jack had died.

An alarmed cry escaped Slink's mouth, and a moment later I felt his tail wrap around my waist. I let him gently lift me up off his back. I hung limp, doing nothing, feeling the cold stupor closing in, getting ever closer.

The next thing I knew Slink had his arms around me, pulling me close to his chest in a tight embrace. He was sitting back on his haunches like a dog with his tail still encircling me. His body was longer than I was tall, my jawline only just reaching his collar bone.

Slink lowered his head over my shoulder. I gasped as I felt his mind slam into mine, forcing me away from the brink of insanity.

_No._ He snarled, his voice reverbrating loudly in the very deepest, most well hidden part of my mind. _You will _not_ let that happen to you. I will not allow it! _He sounded furious. _You are _mine,_ and I will die long before I let you lose to anyone, especially not yourself._ Slink's tone softened, and he very gently, almost tenderly, nuzzled his chin into my neck.

_You are mine._ He repeated.

I felt something trickle down my cheek. Reaching up, I was surprised to find that it was a tear. More tears followed, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get them to stop. Soon, I just gave up, and my shoulders shook as my body was wracked with huge, painful sobs. I pressed my face into Slink's chest, soaking the hard material in salty tears.

Slink sat, holding me, never letting go or even loosening his arms. He simply waited, his face still buried in my neckline and making soft, quiet noises that had a strangely soothing affect on me.

It was a while before I finally stopped crying, and when I did all I could do was stand there with my head resting on Slink's chest. I said nothing as Slink scooped me up and started walking on his hind legs toward the small camp Cerra and the Hunter had set up in a small clearing.

Exhausted and empty, I let my head fall into the crook of Slink's arm. I closed my eyes, and fell into the deepest, most luxurious sleep I'd ever had.

_**So, what did ya think? Was it good? Okay? So-so? Please tell, so that I can fix stuff and possibly improve and better please your eyeballs! ^_^**_

_**Also, I want to ask you guys another favor. Seeing as I'm gonna have to introduce some new characters, I'm gonna need to come up with some names. However, as many of you probably know, that's much easier said than done, and I need your help. I'm gonna have new Predator characters, and possibly some Xenos, too, so if you don't mind, suggestions would be much appreciated. I will be trying to come up with names on my own, but I would love some help. Thanks! :) (Oh, yeah, and tell me who your favorite characters are! You don't have to, but I'm curious! ;))**_

_**To RubyDracoGirl:**__** Yay! I'm still so much grateful that you are still enjoying this. :D**_

_**To SesshiraRayu:**__** Yes, Janine and Cerra are definately not people to mess with. :U**_

_**To LynxbyLynx:**__** Awesome! I myself am looking forward to Mr. Cocky-Pred-Pants getting whooped.**_

_**To The Silent Hunter:**__** It's good to know someone's enjoying Slink and Janine. :) BTW, I quoted you, in case you didn't notice; "had his butt handed to him." Lol, I couldn't resist!**_

_**To dragonrider101: **__**Aww, thanks! I also found your AVP fic to be quite interesting. Hope you can update soon! :D**_

_**To DaLover:**__** I agree with you. Jarar **_**is**_** an idiot for messing with two (maybe three 8D) very capable fighters, and as you can see, he still tries to mess with them! And poke all you want! I won't mind. ;)**_


	16. Chapter 15

_**Okay, I have posted a new story, not for AVP as I originally planned, but for **_**Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood.**_** (I love that game. Don't judge me! D:) This was brought on by the most amazing dream I had, which was set off by me and my Assassin recruits goin' beast-mode on a gazillion guards. The dream was so amazing that I literally cursed the sun to an early death for waking me from it. ':( Check it out if you like, or not if you don't. Leave a review and tell me if you like! :) I WILL continue with this story though, don't you worry about that. **_

**CH. 15**

** Cerra**

I stared as Slink stepped into the clearing carrying Janine in his arms. For a panicked moment I thought she was dead, until I saw with relief her chest rising and falling steadily.

Jarar glanced up from the device on his wrist, rumbling as Slink sank to the ground. Slink curled his body around Janine like a dog, at the far edge of the clearing, keeping away from us. I noticed Jarar watching them closely. It was hard to tell with his mask, but I was fairly certain he was considering making a go at them while they were vulnerable.

Faking a yawn, I stretched my arms up over my head. Nonchalantly I gripped the hilt of one of my swords, pulled it from it's sheathe, and gently stroked my thumb down the sharp edge. I gazed cooly at the Hunter, angling my sword so that the blade caught a ray of sunlight, glinting coldly.

Jarar growled something and returned to fiddling with his little computer-thingy-whatever-it-was.

I leaned back against a tree, my sword resting on my lap. I closed my eyes and remembered the look on Janine's face after what I had said to her. She looked hurt and betrayed, but not surprised. She must've been expecting my response, like she knew I would side with the Hunter.

I couldn't understand it. Janine knew exactly what Slink was, even if she couldn't see him, and yet, she still chooses to stay with him.

But was I any better? Janine had said that Jarar was just as dangerous as Slink, possibly even more so. She'd practically screamed that he made trophys out of his kills, and had implied that Slink was in danger of having his skull mounted on a wall. Was that true? Somehow I didn't find it hard to believe.

Opening my eyes again, I looked at Slink and Janine laying together, and felt a twinge of jealousy. Janine was lucky. At least she had someone to help her deal. I had no one. Not anymore.

Grief tore painfully at my heart as I thought of Jack, and all the fun times we had together. He should be here, with me. Not encased in a plastic body bag in the back of an ambulance like he probably was now.

I smiled sadly, imagining what he would be saying if he were here now.

_"So it _did_ come from space! This is incredible! I've got to take some samples of his skin back to the lab..." _("The Lab" is actuallythe science lab in our highschool.) I wondered how Jack's brother's going to react when he finds out...

I thought of my family. Mom, Dad, Katie and Ethan, Maggie... They're all gonna be worried sick when I don't come home. The orphanage will be looking for Janine, too.

The orphanage has a name, but that's just what we call it; The orphanage. Janine has been living at the orphanage since she was too young to even crawl. We don't know anything about her parents, only that her mother dropped her off there, staying only long enough to give the caretakers her name.

Janine's mother never came back, and never called. No one could find any trace of her either. It was almost like she just dropped off the side of the Earth.

Janine never cared. She was happy with Jack and I as her family, even though the orphanage caretakers did their best to make life miserible for her.

Slink's sides billowed as he exhaled loudly. Shifting, he pulled his head in closer to Janine. She murmured wordlessly in her sleep, then turned over and rubbed her cheek against Slink's boney ribcage. They were still once more.

I sighed, too. At least they were comfortable.

The Hunter growled something at me. I turned my attention toward him.

"Huh?" Came my intelligent response. Jarar clicked in annoyance.

"I said you need to rest. We will continue on once we have all slept."

I glared at him. "How do I know you won't try to slit our throats while we're sleepng?" He gave an exasperated sigh.

"_Because _there's no honor in killing a sleeping opponent, and I'm tired. Now rest." As he said this he rolled over onto his side, making sure his back was to me.

Glowering, I rested my head back against the tree. Closing my eyes again, I let my aching muscles relax, and slept the sleep of the dead.

**~X-X~**

"Cerra! Cerra wake up!"

Someone's hand was gently shaking my shoulder.

"Cerra! C'mon, it's time to go." My eyes snapped open. Janine was kneeling in front of me, her sightless eyes trained on mine as though she could actually see them. She smiled, sensing I was awake. The sun was at it's peak, and it was beating down hotly from it's vantage point in the sky.

Janine held out a small package wrapped in clear cling wrap. I realized it was a turkey and swiss cheese sub, with lettuce, mayonnaise, tomatoes, pickles...

My stomach rumbled loudly.

Janine's smile widened.

"You want some?" She asked. I nodded, probably drooling all over myself.

She giggled, pressing the sandwich into my hands.

"Here," she said. "Take it."

Famished, I tore the open the wrap and practically inhaled the sub. It was delicious.

Wiping my mouth, I asked, "Where'd you get that?" Janine grinned evily.

"Slink and I discovered a campground a ways off, and we decided to... drop in and visit for a little while."

My eyes widened in horror. "You... you didn't..." I couldn't finish. I turned away, unable to look at her.

For a moment she looked confused, then her eyes grew even wider than mine.

"Cerra, no. God, no! We didn't hurt them!" I looked back at her. Her brow was furrowed in an expression of disbelief. "We just scared them off and raided their coolers."

"Oh." That's all I could say.

"Cerra," Janine said softly. I met her eyes. The dull green in them had turned a sad tone as they stared back at me. "Do you honestly think I would do that? Cerra, I wouldn't dream of hurting anyone. At least not unless they've hurt me first."

An uncomfortable silence followed, and I forced my gaze over her shoulder to distract myself.

"Hey, where's Slink and Jarar?" I asked, noticing for the first time they were missing.

"Hunting," Janine said, standing. She held her hand out to me. I took it and she helped me up.

"Did you eat?" I asked. She nodded and turned her sightless gaze out to the trees withan expectant look in her eyes. I knew she must be waiting for Slink to return.

"Janine?" I said softly. She turned.

"Yes?" I watched her expression. I loved the way she talked. She was always so formal and polite, nothing could really ever make her mad. Which was why I was scared to voice my thoughts, not just because I didn't want to hurt her, but because I wasn't sure of what she could, or would, do. I couldn't stop remembering how she had tackled Jarar when he'd almost attacked Slink, and the dangerous look in just about every aspect of her figure when she'd spoken to him on the ground. The way she spoke, the feral growl of her voice, sent shivers shooting up my spine.

"Help me understand this." I said. Janine's green eyes stared hard into mine. "Slink is a monster that literally was born to kill, and yet you're practically in love with him!" She frowned at this, her brow furrowing. "All I want to know is _why?"_ For a moment she said nothing, just stood with her eyes on the ground.

"Slink can't help what he is, Janine, any more than you or I can help being born human. That is entirely Jarar's father's fault, in case you didn't hear." I started to say something, but Janine cut me off. "Why do you trust the Hunter, Jarar?" She asked without looking up. That surprised me.

"I thought I was the one asking questions?" Janine frowned again at something I couldn't see, and didn't respond.

I sighed. "I guess it's because he saved my life..." Pausing, I added, "And maybe because he seems a little more... I don't know..."

"Human." She finished for me. Surprised again, I nodded, realizing that was true.

"Yeah."

Now it was her turn to sigh.

"Have you ever considered the fact that maybe Slink... saved my life as well?"

I stared at her, utterly amazed.

"He did?" Janine nodded again, her eyes full of a deep, penetrating sadness that cut straight through to my heart.

"Twice, and he's still doing it." My jaw fell open.

"How?"

"Well, the first time was from your Hunter-" My head jerked up at that.

"Hey, wha-?" Janine only smiled. Confused, I let her continue.

"I almost got my head shish kebabed to a tree while we were being chased. Slink sensed the spear coming and jumped away with me just in time.

"The second time was early this morning, when you and the Hunter were 'setting up camp.'" She made quotation marks in the air with her hands. I would've grinned (I could never figure out how she knew what those look like), but she looked so sad, almost pained as she spoke.

"My mind... I almost... almost lost it. I could feel it... slipping." Janine exhaled shakily to calm herself. "And Slink... I don't know what he did but... he saved me, saved my mind... from insanity. "

I stared at her for what seemed like forever. Janine? Struggling with insanity? She was always so calm and level-headed. I never imagined she would actually start to _lose_ it... I mean, it just didn't seem possible.

Without thinking, I stepped forward and hugged her. She tensed, but then I felt her muscles relax and she returned the embrace.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I had no idea."

Janine pulled away and smiled.

"Are we made up then?" She asked hopefully.

I grinned back at her. "Totally."

_**Meh. Sorry about the crappy, sappy ending. It's just that I'm a little late on updating (school is such a drag X_X) and I was kinda rushing. Plus I couldn't stand the thought of having to write about some kind of fued... Ugh. Anyways, time for a shout out to mah reviewers! Love y'all!**_

_**To Apocalypse Survivor:**__** Wow, thanks. Hmmm. That is a good idea... I may just do that... And as you can see Cerra and Janine have made up, for now. *grins evily* Don't worry, I DO NOT plan on killing any more of my characters. I don't think I could stand it. :,(**_

_**To The Silent Hunter:**__** Thank you! I think Slink is my favorite, too, and I doo believe Jarar will get yanked down off his high horse... hard. :D**_

_**To SesshiraRayu:**__** *giggles* Wonder how close they're gonna get...? 8D**_

_**To RubyDracoGirl:**__** Gah! Thanks. My brother has not read many fics, as in ZERO, so I think he was just trying to get on my nerves... Twin brothers do that. **_

_**To LynxbyLynx:**__** It's okay, you don't have to help me with names. As long as you keep readin' and reviewin', I'm happy! :D**_

_**To Khalthar:**__** Wow. To be honest, I was a little intimidated when I saw your review, and practically started hyperventilating when I saw who it was by. 8( But then I read it, and I am so grateful for your insight and wisdom when it comes to writing. I never had any thought of Frankenstein while I was writing this fic, but now that you mention it, it is a bit like that, isn't it? Also, I can't believe how well you depicted my characters. I couldn't have said it better myself! If you have any kind of advice to give please lend it to me so I can better improve this story! God knows, I could use the help! ':)**_

_**To AnimeDreama:**__** Thank you! I'll take any review you want to give! :)**_

_**To DaLover:**__** *smiles in understanding* I almost started hating Cerra, too. Can you imagine; an author hating her own OC's. Crazy. 8(**_


	17. Chapter 16

_**Ugh. Sorry if I'm a little late on this one. And I'm so sorry for the obvious lack of epicosity (thank you Tobuscus for revealing that word to me XD), so I hope this chapter makes up for it. I just felt I needed to write a chapter just so Cerra and Janine could make up and be friends again. Enjoy! ;)  
(P.S I'm also sorry that the chapters are so short. It's actually easier for me to write and come up with ideas that way, believe it or not ^^*)**_

**CH. 16**

** Jarar Than-guan R'ka**

I watched the _kainde amedha's_ tail slowly unfurl itself from the branches of a tree. The blade at the end hovered, quivering, barely a foot away from the animal's head. The hoofed, four legged beast was grazing on the leaves of a small shrub, blissfully unaware that it's death was merely seconds away. With speed that was too fast for even me to see, the Hard Meat's tail shot forward, and the blade was shoved in one eye socket and out the other in a violent spray of blood. The animal went limp immediately, dead before it could even register the pain. The tail curled back up, dragging the animal up and disappearing into the tree's canopy.

I clicked my mandibles softly. Questions tumbled around my head as I contemplated the Hard Meat's behavior. Why it was so attached to the one called Janine I had no idea. It did not seem to be on very friendly terms with the ooman named Cerra, so what made the blind one so special? She was... different, that I knew, but _how_ different? It was obvious she could communicate with it, likely with her mind, and she had this kind of commanding air about her that almost reminded me of the Queen back on tha clan ship where the Hard Meat was born.

I snorted to myself and continued on through the forest, switching the view on my visor to heat sensor mode. That was rediculous. An _ooman_ Queen? The very thought made me want to laugh. Still, the ooman showed absolutely no fear whenever I would threaten her, whether it was because she knew the _kainde amedha_ would protect her or if she was simply foolish was a mystery to me.

A spot of yellow and red appeared in the otherwise blue expanse of forest, and I paused. It was a small animal known to oomans as a "rabbit," the same creature that the Hard Meat had caught earlier. They were fairly common, so I made these the target of my hunt. Already I had three strapped to my belt, but they were very small so I figured I would need at least two more to make a sufficient meal.

Slowly, I made my way forward, crouched low so as not to scare the rabbit off. Soon, I had full view of it, and I raised my Combi Stick. The rabbit continued to snuffle through the leaves in it's search for food. I waited a moment to steady my aim, then threw. The rabbit, shrieked and writhed as it was speared to the ground through it's abdomen. After a moment it was still, and I moved forward to pull my Combi Stick from the dirt. Deftly, I removed the dead animal from the shaft, and sheathed the spear at my side, the blades contracting to a more portable size.

After tying the rabbit to my belt with the others, I moved on. I switched the view on my visor to one that would allow me to spot the Hard Meat easily. I spotted it sitting in a high up bough, still gorging itself on the hoofed animal. It was completely hidden in the shadows made by the leaves. If I didn't have my helmet, it would have been nearly impossible to find the Hard Meat.

I saw it was already nearly finished with the meal, despite the size of the creature. Since I assumed the one animal was all it needed, that meant that it would be returning to the ooman Janine soon. I growled crossly. Four small rabbits was going to have to do. I was sure that by the time I killed another rabbit, the Hard Meat could be long gone along with the ooman females. I couldn't risk it.

Instead, I turned and jumped, landing lightly on a thick branch in a nearby tree. I plopped down with my back resting against the trunk, the rough bark gently scraping my back and shoulders. I quickly removed my mask. Making sure that I could hear the Hard Meat nearby, I began to devour each of the four small creatures, too hungry to even bother skinning them.

As I ate I watched my surroundings closely. Without my mask I could feel a cool breeze whispering through the leaves on my face, bringing with it a jumbled mess of scents and sounds. I didn't even try to sort them all out. Instead I simply let them wash over me, and took a moment to enjoy the sensation of being surrounded by the wildlife of the forest.

Unfortunately, this reminded me that I would need to rely heavily on my senses to keep an eye out for any form of a threat, especially now since there was a particularly dangerous _kainde amedha_ on the loose. One that was made all the more dangerous by the fact that I was no longer permitted to kill it. It was then that I realized that I could no longer hear the sound of the Hard Meat dining on it's prey.

"_C'jit,"_ I growled, and swallowed the final bite of my meal before replacing my mask on my face. Silently, I slid off the branch and fell to the ground, landing with a heavy _thud!_ So much for silence, I thought, and trotted through the thick brush, making my way quickly to the tree where I had last seen the _kainde amedha_ lurking.

I wasn't surprised to find the Hard Meat disappeared, the bloody remains of it's hoofed prey the only proof that it had been around. Annoyance coursed through me as I turned to leave. Once again I had let it slip away, completely unnoticed. How could I have been so stupid? Something crunched sharply under my foot, and I grew even more annoyed thinking that I had stepped on one of the left over bones that were piled underneath the tree.

My annoyance suddenly dissapated and melded to curiosity when I saw that it wasn't a bone I had stepped on. It was a light gray material that seemed to resemble a shell of some sort. I knelt slowly and picked it up, rubbing it gently between my thumb and forefinger.

"What the _pauk?" _I muttered. The material was smooth and hard, and strangely fragile. Bits of it broke off and fell to he ground in spite of how gingerly I held it. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before, and yet I couldn't shake the feeling that I should know already what it was.

Shaking my head in confusion, I dropped the shell and stood. I needed to find the _kainde amedha_ and ensure that it didn't escape. I was positive that it wouldn't leave without Janine, so I started off in the direction of the small "camp" where I knew the ooman female to be.

I didn't get far.

A large black streak raced up and rammed into my gut, forcing me back against a wide tree trunk. I snarled and tossed the Hard Meat aside. It shrieked and rolled back to it's feet as it hit the ground, and I crouched, preparing for another charge.

But none came. I straightened in surprise and stared, completely baffled at the sight before me.

The Hard Meat was brushing it's lithe body against another tree, producing a loud scraping noise, and I saw that it's normally gleaming hide was dulled to opaque gray. It whined piteously and, twisting it's head around, began to gnaw viciously on it's hind leg. I noticed with shock that small flakes of the same gray material that I had found earlier were dropping onto the ground, replaced with new, shiny black chitin.

_Of course!_ The creature was going through a molt! That explained it's recent growth spurt. I watched the Hard Meat strip away a large section of skin from it's thigh, then rolled onto it's back, moaning softly. At first I was amused seeing it roll around on the ground like an ooman dog in long grass, whining and crying in frustration as it tried and failed to relieve the painful itching. Then, however, I began to worry. Thanks to it's recent growth spurt, the Hard Meat was already much larger than any other _kainde amedha_ that I had encountered. Stronger and faster, too.

My father had told me that _kainde amedha _were known to grow rapidly once they hit a certain age. Warrior class Hard Meats turned into Praetorians or even Guardians if left alive long enough. They often went through multiple molts before finally reaching full size. Another rumor I had heard was that the process was sped up by the absence of a Queen.

Could that be what was happening now? I certainly hoped not. It would make my task that much more difficult. Still, I couldn't hold back a short laugh when the Hard Meat sat back on it's haunches and began to scratch the side of it's head and neck rigorously with it's hind leg, once again reminding me strongly of a dog. It's scratching grew so hard and fast it was almost violent. The Hard Meat opened it's jaws slightly and made an obviously pleased sound in the back of it's throat. One clawed toe snagged on the side of it's head, and suddenly, it's entire head was pulled off!

My eyes widened as the largest hunk of dead gray chitin slid to the ground, where it cracked and broke apart. The Hard Meat purred in satifaction, and looked up at me. I saw with chagrin that it was quite obviously larger than it had been when I had last seen it. The Hard Meat watched me for a moment, as if it just now realized I was there. It cocked it's now glossy head curiously at me, probably wondering why I was staring at it.

I snorted and turned to continue on my way back to the camp, and after a moment's hesitation the _kainde amedha_ followed close behind. Growling a warning to it, I sped up, and soon I was running through the forest, low hanging branches and sharp twigs whipping past my mask and arms harmlessly. The Hard Meat kept pace with me, however. It lengthened it's stride until it was running alongside me. Then to my surprise it pulled slightly ahead of me, turning it's head back with it's black lips pulled up into a mocking grin.

"So,"I muttered."You think you're faster than me, huh?"The Hard Meat ran even farther ahead, and slapped my arm lightly with the blade of it's tail, making a quiet chuffing sound, which I assumed was a laugh. "Fine. Bring it on!"

And the race began.

I sprinted, clearing a path straight through the undergrowth, and soon passed the _kainde amedha_. I laughed while it shrieked angrily. _This race is as good as mine,_ I thought triumphantly, until a shadow passed overhead, and the Hard Meat landed a good ways in front of me, disappearing between the trees.

_Pauk, you're faster than I thought._ I admitted to myself. _But are you fast enough?_ I took to the trees, feeling each bough quivering dangerously under my feet every time I landed and leapt. Soon, I could see the Hard Meat weaving gracefully in and out of the tree trunks and shrubbery up ahead, and quickly caught up with it. The Hard Meat looked up and snarled.

_No fair,_ it hissed in my head. For once I wasn't affected by it intrudinng on my mind. I grinned in response to it.

"I never said I would be fair, did I?" To prove my point, I leapt down in front of it and stood there. The Hard Meat screeched in surprise and skidded to a stop, and I took off again. It hissed furiously, and I laughed at it's frustration. I heard it catching up rapidly though, and my grin faltered as the _kainde amedha_ pulled up beside me. From then on it was neck-and-neck... Well, as neck-and-neck as it could be. Neither of us could pull ahead of the other, at least not for long.

We were closing in the camp ground, and I could hear the ooman females talking, but their voices were silenced as they heard the sound of our approach. The Hard Meat growled and put on a burst of speed that I could barely keep up with. My lungs were burning and I could hardly breathe. It wasn't until just now that I saw how foolish it was to accept a challenge to race a creature who technically didn't need to breathe.

The _kainde amedha_ burst into the clearing not even half a second before I did. Cerra jumped back with an alarmed shout, but Janine just smiled as we both dug our heels into the ground to stop ourselves. The Hard Meat moved up to Janine and ducked it's head so that she could rub it. I saw it's sides billowing, and I was pleased to know that I wasn't the only one breathing hard. Janine grinned at me.

"Who won?" She asked. The Hard Meat lifted it's head proudly, it's chest puffing out in triumph.

_I did,_ it announced so we all could hear it. I noticed Cerra's eyes grow larger at hearing the _kainde amedha's_ voice apparently for the first time. I growled at the Hard Meat.

"Barely." It hissed irritably at me.

_Only because you cheated._ It's tone grew smug. _And I _still_ won!_

"Whoa!" Cerra chimed in. She was gazing in wonder at the Hard Meat. "He's _huge!_ I know you said he was going to get bigger, but jeeze..." She trailed off, shaking her head in disbelief.

I scrutinized the Hard Meat, now finally able to compare it to something and get an actual idea of it's true size. It was indeed huge, even to me. The top of Cerra's head couldn't even reach the Hard Meat's shoulder. And she was the tallest of the two oomans! Janine was literally dwarfed by the creature's rediculous size. It was easily larger than a Praetorian class _kainde amedha_, and though I had never seen one, I had no doubts that the Hard Meat was almost, if not already, a Guardian class _kainde amedha. _The final stage before growing into a Queen, if I'm not mistaken.

It didn't _look_ like a Praetorian, much less a Guardian; there was no distinctive crest on it's head. It just looked like a very overgrown Warrior.

But still, I was praying to _Paya_ that it wouldn't grow any more.

_**To RubyDracoGirl:**__** Thank you! :D And yes, I do wish for you to send Kanani and Psycho over. I would love to meet them! And I'm sure my brother would enjoy it as well! Muahahahaha! *evil grin***_

_**To LynxbyLynx:**__** Cool. :) Hope you enjoyed this one!**_

_**To AnimeDreama: **__**Your wish is my command! I put it in Jarar's point of view just for you! Did it meet your approval? :)**_

_**To DaLover:**__** Well, this was sort of an ass-kicking... in a very, VERY gentle kinda way... I'm still waiting for the right moment... ;P**_

_**To The Silent Hunter:**__** I'm glad that you love it! Don't worry, as long as you're willing to take the time out of your day to read and review this story, I'm happy!**_

_**To Khalthar**__**: Once again, you are absolutley right! And thank you. You have no idea how much it means to me to get good advice AS WELL AS such amazing support from reviewers. It's the main reason, besides how rewarding this story actually is for me (I'll be sad when it's fininshed! :'( ), that I continue writing. Thank you!**_

_**(P.S.S I'm actually only guessing on how a Xenomorph evolves. I'm just going by what makes sense to my, not necessarily by canon, so if anything seems off to you, let me know and I'll see if I want to change it. Thanks!) **_


	18. Chapter 17

_**Okay, people. Here's the deal. I will not be updating for probably most of the summer, because I am going to visit my mom up in Washington State, and I am not going to be allowed to bring our laptop with, so I won't be around for a while. To all the amazing authors whose stories I have been reading, this means I will not be able to read or review for a while. At least not until I get a chance to get on a computer at a library or something. I will keep writing later chapters on paper () so when I finally do get a chance, I will return and update WITH A VENGEANCE! Do not fret beloved readers, I will continue this story, and I'm sorry I haven't updated in forever. I just could not think of what to write next. Please, don't give up on me; don't remove this story from your alert list and what-not. Just stick with me and be patient! I promise you I will not stop writing!  
Anyway, here's chapter 17. Had to update one more time before I disappear. :) Sorry about the long note. I just had to tell y'all. :'( Enjoy!**_

** CH. 17**

** Slink**

"Okay, so tell me more about what's happened between you two. I mean, how exactly did this _thing-_" Cerra gestured wildy at me. "-end up saving your life?" I growled, even though I knew she didn't mean anything by it.

Janine grinned. She was on my back again, riding happily as we walked, following the Hunter on what was supposed to be the final stretch of our journey. I was big enough now that she didn't have to ride belly-down. Instead she now rode upright with her legs dangling on either side of my ribcage. She'd found a space in the middle of my back, between two of the spikes that ridged my spine, that was just large enough for her to sit comfortably in. I felt her fingers grip the spike in front of her as she started to explain all the things that had happened in Cerra's absence, starting with when I first contacted her.

Cerra listened silently as we walked, and didn't once interrupt while Janine spoke. I kept my senses forward to moniter the Hunter as he leapt between the branches toward our destination. He had to stop frequently to allow us to catch up, and I could tell it was starting to frustrate him. He didn't like how slow we were going, but I didn't care. This pace was more energy saving and much more convenient for the humans.

"Hey, Slink," Cerra said when Janine was finished. I inclined my head slightly towards her, surprised that she would address me directly. "What made you want to do this?" She asked. I cocked my head at her in the universal stance of the confused.

_What do you mean?_ I asked, keeping my voice inside her head quiet so as not to startle her.

She hesitated for only a split second before replying. "Well, I know you're not exactly supposed to be the nicest monster around town... And you're definately not the cutest."

Janine stifled a laugh. I didn't mind; it was true.

"...So how come you don't just kill us and be on your way?" Cerra continued.

If I could blink, I would have. The bluntness in which the question was asked caught me off guard, and it was a moment before I could respond.

_Hmm..._ I said thoughtfully. _I'm not really sure. I guess I don't have that killer instinct that my kind seem to possess._ Cerra grinned.

"You don't seem to have any problem baring your fangs at Jarar." She pointed out. I rolled my shoulders as Janine lay down across my back, resting her cheek in between my shoulder spikes and letting her arms fall down on either side.

_Comfy?_ I said, and she just smiled.

To Cerra, I pulled my lips back over my teeth in a grin. _Yes, well, he has a nasty habit of biting off more than he can chew._ I opened my maw and let my secondary jaws slide out. _Something I don't have a problem with._

Cerra tilted her head back and laughed. "Yeah, you're right. But that still doesn't explain _why._" I studied her for a bit. How to answer? I wondered. Then I got an idea.

_Maybe it would be easier to _show_ you, rather than tell._ She was confused, but Janine was intrigued at my thoughts. She rubbed my shoulder gently.

_You sure?_ She said. Her voice was barely more than a murmur in my mind. I threw my senses forward. The Hunter was once again leaping ahead in the trees. I don't think he was very keen on stopping, so I figured he wouldn't take the time out of his busy schedule to bother us. I nodded mentally.

_Yes, I'm sure. But we've got to keep moving. I don't want the Hunter to get suspicious and interrupt._ I turned to Cerra.

_Brace yourself, _I cautioned before reaching my mind forward to touch hers. Cerra's breathing hitched, but she said nothing. I pushed, until finally I broke through the barrier around her mind. Mine, Janine's, and Cerra's thoughts and feelings melded together, and we were connected. It was... weird, to say the least, but I forced myself to continue.

_Woah..._ Cerra was thinking, releasing a breath that she hadn't realised she'd been holding. Janine giggled, and I sent a mental smile at her.

_So this is what you guys do? _She whispered in disbelief. Janine nodded. I shrugged.

_It's better than actually talking would be, if I could talk in the first place. No matter what you have to tell the truth. You can always tell when the other is lying, and what their intentions are, because you feel the others emotions._

_ And vice versa._ Janine added. Cerra understood.

_I get it. This is so I can know for sure you're being honest, and not making stuff up so you can look good._ Cerra took a deep breath, both mentally and physically. _Okay, shoot._

Quickly I sent images to her from my memories, preferring to let her experience what I did, beginning with the lab escape. I left nothing of it out. Cerra winced and grimaced every time I took the life of a human, but she did not hold it against me. I showed her that I only killed those who attacked me first, and even then only when it was absolutely necessary. She gasped in shock when the human fired into my leg, and I had to dull the memory of the pain so she didn't have to feel it.

I finally escaped the lab via the ventilation system, sprinting away to freedom... and to the desperate struggle through the forest. Sadness rolled off Cerra's mind as she watched, through my eyes, as I collapsed, exhausted and in pain, behind a thorn bush near a road. Without thinking she reached over and placed her hand on my shoulder next to Janine's. I let her, and continued on with the memory.

When I came to the point where I called out to Janine for help, it was revealed that I only contacted Janine out of desperation at first, and because her mind felt familiar, though at the time I didn't know why. Thanks to Jarar, I realize now that it must have been from instinct. Her mind likely feels similar to that of my own kind because her mental "abilities" are similar. Why that would be I have no idea, but from then on Janine took over, showing Cerra how I reacted to her and others and the fact that there is no real reason for Cerra to be fearful of me. That is, unless I considered her a threat to Janine.

Slowly I pulled mine and Janine's minds away from Cerra's. She was silent, and we let her be. We had given her a lot to think about, and I felt she needed time to sort it all out. I noticed she hadn't yet removed her hand from my shoulder, but I didn't mind.

The three of us walked like that for what seemed like a coulpe of hours, until suddenly, the Hunter's triumphant roar sounded from up ahead. Startled, Cerra and I broke into a run, and skidded to a halt behind the Hunter, who was standing proudly gazing at the sight before him.

Cerra's breath caught in her throat, and both Janine and I hissed to see what they were looking at. I groaned inwardly while I felt Janine's tiny nails did into the hard chitin on my shoulder spikes.

It was the Hunter's ship.

We were finally getting off this planet to pay a visit to someplace filled with bigger, badder, more experienced Hunters than the mere nuisance that was standing before me.

_This is gonna be fun,_ I muttered to Janine. She scowled.

_This is gonna be hell, _she replied.

_**God, I hate to leave you like this. Please feel free to keep leaving reviews. I'll be leaving Monday, so there's still time for me to read feed back from you. If this chapter felt rushed to you, it's becuase it was. I've spent like the whole day cleaning, packing and preparing for the trip... So yeah. Haven't had much time on this. Sorry. ^^***_

_**To LynxbyLynx:**____***giggle* Cool. I enjoyed writing that scene. And I'm glad you were a little grossed out... *luaghs evilly***_

_**To SesshriraRayu:**__** Sorry I didn't respond to you last chapter. Uh, lemons...? *Googles it* Oh, er... huh. Dunno. Maybe, maybe not. We'll see what happens. :) (It'd be kinda weird though, doncha think?)**_

_**To The Silent Hunter:**__** I know. Slink was adorable, I think. Poor Jarar. What has he gotten himself into? XD**_

_**To Rubydracogirl:**__** And what is that concerns you, my friend? Don't bother with Kanani and Psycho. I've settled things quite nicely here... *grins slyly at Slink, who licks his chops happily***_

_**To AnimeDreama: **__**I'm pleased to hear you enjoyed it!**_

_**To DaLover:**__** Exactly! Makes me wonder, too. 8D**_


	19. Chapter 18

_**As Arnold Schwarzenegger famously said, **_**"I'll be back,"**_** and he was. And now, the same FINALLY applies to me! I am BACK! MUAHAHAHAHA! *coughcoughHACK* Ehem. Anyway. I believe when we left off we were on chapter 17, yes? And the gang had just arrived at the Hunter's evil spaceship of DOOM! For all you people who are still reading, and for all the new readers, thank you! If there's anyone who's given up on me, well... YOUR LOSS!**_

__**CH. 18**

** Cerra**

Jarar signaled for us to wait out here for him before entering the ship, clattering gleefully. I stared after him, watching the entry hatch or whatever it was called lift from the ground and seal shut behind him, and sighed. Folding my arms across my chest, I leaned back against a tree to consider the current circumstances. As it goes, I have two choices. One; fly up into space with a creepy alien Hunter, or two; die. Niether sounds very appealing, but I'd rather take the former.

I have to leave my entire family behind... Jesus, they're probably dying of worry right now, and when they find out about Jack... Mom, Dad, Katy and Ethan, and not to mention my dog, Maggie... they'll probably all think I'm dead, if they don't already. Still, better they think I'm dead than it actually being true. Hell, I'd take a trip through outer space with a couple of weirdo aliens to white-hot plasma to the face anyday.

As I stared up at Jarar's behemoth ship, I wondered, how could such a perfectly normal rainy day turn so quickly? I mean, one minute we're out to get ice cream, all three of us, and the next, one of us is dead and the remaining two are about to be friggin' abducted by aliens! Well, now that I think about it, one of the aliens is also getting abducted by aliens. Not usually what comes to mind... Speaking of whom...

I glanced over at my two companions. They did _not_ look too happy about things either. Slink was growling low in his throat, sounding almost like a cat does when something really pisses it off. Janine slid off his back and landed noislessly on the ground next to him. She reached up and pulled Slink's head down next to hers and held it there. I was surprised when I saw the grief flit across her face, her blind green eyes dulled with pain. Slink stopped growling suddenly and nuzzled her under her chin. Janine closed her eyes and rubbed her cheek against his jaw.

"I know," she murmured. He hissed quietly.

I couldn't make sense of it. How in the world did they get to be so close? I know that Slink isn't a threat, not really. I actually kinda like him. Especially now that I can understand him better after he showed me his memories. He just does what he has to in order to stay alive, and I know he'll do whatever it takes to protect Janine. I respect him for that. But still, it's pretty obvious that they've formed some kind of special bond that goes beyond just being friends and allies. It makes me wonder just how deep that bond went.

The sound of the ship's entry hatch hissing open brought my attention back to the world around me. Jarar stepped down the ramp and beckoned us inside. I chewed my lip as I felt my gut churn sickeningly.

Here we go.

**~X-X~**

** Jarar Than 'guan R'ka**

Finally, we're getting off this backwater hunk of rock called "Earth." It seems like forever since I started this hunt, and I am eager for it to be over. Travelling through slipspace, it would take about seven Earth days to reach homeworld, where I can be rid of these oomans and that troublsome _kainde amedha._

_ Paya..._ I should've just shot that creature with my plasma cannons when I had the chance. Not only did it escape from me twice, but it humiliated me in from of the oomans more than once. However, that is my own fault. I should've heede the Chcief Elder's warnings...

_Pauk._ I shook the thoughts from my head, and motioned for the others to follow me. The Hard Meat surprised me; he came without giving so much as a hiss. I suspected that was because of Janine, who had her hand placed on the creature's long head constantly. I held back a snort of disgust. How can she even bear to be near that thing? Why would it let her? I doubt I will ever understand.

I gave them a quick tour of the vessel, showing them the locations of the lavatories and food storage chambers as well as where they would be staying for the journey. After the tour was over and once they were all "settled in," I headed towards the front of the ship where the control deck was located. Brisquely I dialed in the coordinates and set the commands to start the ship's massive engines; and start they did. The entire vessel trembled with the force of the engines firing up. Unfortunately for me, this ship was not one of the newer models, and I found myself purring in satisfaction as I set the controls to autopilot.

Home bound at last.

**~X-X~**

** Janine**

God, what have I gotten myself into? I thought irritably.

_Who's God?_ Slink asked me quietly. We were sitting in the back corner of the "quarters" that Jarar had assigned to us. It wasn't particularly comfortable, and from what I could tell, the room was completely empty except for a rough mat that felt as if it was woven from dry grass on the flat metal floor. Slink took up most of the mat, but I didn't mind; if I needed more room I could just sit on him. He had his big head resting in my lap while I stroked the hard carapace, intent on memorizing every ridge and indent in his skull. I gave him a small smile.

_God is an all powerful deity in religion. He supposedly created everything in the universe, and is supposed to love everything in it._ My smile turned into a scowl. _But somehow I don't feel he loves _us_ very much._

_ Oh. _Slink was silent for a moment. _What's religion?_ He paused. _And what's a deity?_

I laughed. I couldn't help it. Slink lifted his head, feeling a little hurt.

_What's so funny?_ He demanded. I shook my head, still giggling.

_I'm sorry. You just sounded so... innocent_.

Slink huffed indignantly and rose. He began to pace the room, growling softly to himself. I stopped laughing and watched him, or rather felt him, worried at the strange mix of emotions coming off him.

_I am hardly what you would call _innocent,_ Janine. _I could feel his tension, the anger, uncertainty, sadness, fear, guilt... all those things and more all jumbled together in a confused mess of thoughts and feelings in his head. It was maddening. I bowed my head, sharing his emotions.

_I don't like this,_ he growled.

_I know,_ I whispered.

_I don't like this,_ he repeated, more loudly.

_I know._

Slink stopped pacing suddenly. He turned his head toward me, then stood still as a statue, not even breathing. 

I got up and walked up to him, raising my hand as I approached. Slink lowered his head into my palm and I leaned my body forward. He held me up, supporting me easily. Wrapping my arms all the way around his head, I planted a kiss on the ridge that ran down the middle of his skull, feeling him lean farther into my stomach.

_I know you're scared, _I said. _I am too, and if you're scared, then I must be terrified. _Slink shuddered, and I hugged him tightly. _But I know we'll make it. Those Hunters... they're not going to lock you up again. They're not going to put you through a bunch of experiments like before. No way. I won't let them._ Slink whined, and sent me an image of myself along with the feeling of pain, not even bothering to put it into words. I smiled and countered with reassuring thoughts.

_They're not gonna do that to me either. Not with you around._ Slink relaxed. He lifted his head out of my arms to look at me, a deep, menacing growl reverbrating in his throat.

_No,_ he hissed._ They won't._

I grinned at him as I felt his fears and doubts melt away.

_So... you watch my back and I'll watch yours,_ I suggested. _Deal?_

Slink stepped forward and brushed his jaw against mine.

_Deal._

**~X-X~**

** Slink**

I don't know how long we've been on this ship, but it has to have been a few days at least. I do know that the boredom is killing me. Janine and I have already explored the entire ship, even the ventilation system, Janine exploring the ones I can't fit into. Everything's so dull; the ship, the food, the walls, and even the ship's inhabitants. Cerra doesn't leave her room (which is across the hall from ours), except to get food and use the lavatories, and though this worries Janine, she never bothers Cerra about it.

I haven't seen the Hunter at all. Either he goes far out of his way to avoid us, or simply doesn't leave "the control center," as he called it. The only thing that's kept me from going completely insane is Janine. I've honestly never been more grateful to have someone to talk to. Without her, I'm sure I would've lost it long ago. She's my anchor, and I know that I need her just as much as she needs me. That first night on this ship made me realize that.

Right now we're in our room with the door shut tight. I'm laying on the woven mat in the corner with Janine tucked snugly into my side, listening to the sound of her breathing. She's asleep, and her breathing is soft and slow. I feel the pressure of her back increase and decrease with every breath, and her smell... is different from other humans, but also similar. Strange. It's a good smell, warm and sweet, but unlike other humans, she doesn't smell... edible. She just smells like Janine.

I sigh and lower my head down to the floor. I felt Janine shift, and lifted my tail to wrap securly around he.

While being this close to Janine reassures me, I just can't shake the feeling that something bad is going to happen to her, and I'm going to be powerless to stop it.

_**HA! Yay! Finally after so long... I tried to make this chapter longer for you guys to make up for my absence, but I'm not really sure that I succeeded... I'm not going to respond to your previous reviews... sorry, but it's been so long I don't think any of you would remember what you said anyway. That doesn't mean you should stop reviewing, God forbid! Just stick with me and I'll see if I can't get another chapter up tomorrow!**_


	20. Chapter 19

_**GAH! Of course I couldn't update the next day! **_**Of course**_** the entire chapter I was typing got deleted! OF COURSE I HAD TO START ALL OVER! My computer hates me...**_

__** CH. 19**

I woke to the sound of the Hunter pounding on Cerra's door across the hall, yelling for her to get up. Quickly, I nudged Janine, urging her awake with my thoughts. She was up instantly.

_What is it? What's wrong?_ She asked, slightly alarmed at the loud noises outside. My only answer was a mental shrug.

I felt her frown, her emotions worried and confused as she stood and moved to the door. I followed her, and the door slid open upon our approach, revealing a very disgruntled Cerra and an oddly cheerful Hunter. I hissed. Something was wrong. No way he could be happy about _anything_. That is, unless it meant trouble for us. Janine agreed with my thoughts.

"What's going on?" She demanded. She glared at the Hunter. Was he _purring?_

"We are ahead of schedule," he replied. "We have arrived at the homeworld."

Silence, and nothing but for a full three seconds.

_Oh shit,_ Janine whispered in my head. It was the first time I'd heard her curse.

_Agreed, _I hissed back. _Not good._

**~X-X~**

** Cerra**

We all stared open-mouthed as Jarar turned to "begin the landing sequence." Janine made a strange noise in her throat that sounded like she was being strangled from the inside. I glanced at her, concerned. She did not look good.

She placed her face in her hands and fell backwards. Fortunately Slink was there to catch her. He held her up and whined softly, worried for her.

"What are we gonna do?" She whispered.

Hell, if I knew. I shook my head.

"We gotta get ready." I muttered. I spun on my heel and strode back into my room, letting the door slide shut and leaving Janine out in the hall. My katanas were still in their sheaths, leaning crossed against the wall next to my bed mat. Snatching them up, I strapped them quickly onto my back. I didn't need to check how sharp they were; I knew. I'd just finished conditioning them last night, preparing for... I don't know what.

Just then, the floor began to vibrate under my feet, sending weird little tingles all through my legs. I glared at it, like this whole mess was entirely the floor's fault.

Landing sequence initiated.

After a moment the shaking stopped, and I scowled angrily to myself. I didn't even know why I was so upset. Maybe it was the stress of losing one of my best friends on top of being spirited away to another planet by an effin' alien hunter. I quckly doused those thoughts.

"Now is not the time, Cerra." I growled. Great. Now I'm talking to myself. I must be losing my mind. Turning, I walked back out the door and was surprised to see Janine and Slink still waiting in the hall. Janine was "staring" at the ground in front of her while Slink lay sprawled out on the floor like a dog. Janine looked up as I walked up to her.

"Hey," I said. Gah. How lame. She didn't reply. She just stared, her eyes actually going right through me, looking, but for once not seeing.

"You okay?" I asked gently. She nodded.

"I'm fine, it's just... I don't know what they're going to do. I don't know why, but for some reason I feel like they're not going to be very welcoming. Not to us anyway." I stared at her, confused, but before I could ask her what she meant, the walls around us once again began to vibtrate, except this time the shaking was _much_ more violent.

_"Entering atmosphere,"_ Jarar's voice sounded over the interecom. I could hear the ship's engines roaring as I braced myself against the wall behind me before I could fall over. Slink rolled into a crouching position and twined his tail around Janine. She reached back and grasped one of Slink's shoulder spikes for leverage. I squeezed my eye's shut and pressed myself harder against the wall as both the roaring of the engines and the vibrating intensified. It felt as though the ship was trying to shake itself to pieces!

Then, just as suddenly as it started, everything went still, and all was quiet, save for my own erratic breathing.

_"Prepare for landing."_

I opened my eyes. Is it just me, or did Jarar sound _giddy_ just now. I snorted mentally. Giddy. Now there's a word you don't hear everyday. My attention was drawn back when Slink suddenly stood. He released Janine, then slipped silently down the hall towards the entry hatch. Janine hesitated only a moment before following. I brought up the rear with mixed emotions.

Jarar was already standing by the control panel next to the door, just itchin' to go all "open sesame" on it. I felt the ship shudder one last time before the rumbling of the engines was cut off.

Abruptly, Janine stiffened and Slink lifted his head. Janine's eyes were wide, and she looked slightly pale. I noticed she was trembling.

"Jeeze, Janine, what's up? You look like you seen a ghost or something," I said, mentally cringing at using such an overly abused saying.

"It's _her_," she breathed. I stared. Ookay, then. _That_ wasn't the creepiest thing I've ever heard. Jarar just growled and swiped a claw down the side of the panel. Strange symbols appeared on the screen, looking like a bunch of random dash marks. Jarar tapped a few of them, and the edges of the hatch spewed steam as it unsealed. Jarar purred. At least he was pleased to be home.

I watched the hatch open slowly, feeling as though my heart was stuck in my throat, choking the life outta me, even though I could distinctly feel it working overtime in my chest. I didn't doubt that everyone on board could hear it. Anxiously, I glanced at Janine. Apparently she'd recovered from whatever demons had possessed her before, because she was holding her head up high, her face set in an expression of grim determination. Slink didn't look scared at all. In fact, he seemed almost eager to leap outside and start tearing into every baddie he could gt his claws on. For the first time since leaving Earth, I smiled. The hatch was now opened completely, forming a convenient ramp down to the ground outside. I moved in behind Jarar, ready to follow him out. Reaching up, I fingered the hilt of one of my katanas.

Was I ready? Jarar growled and stepped down the ramp, and I followed.

Oh yes. I was ready.

**~X-X~**

** Janine**

It's _her._ I can feel her. She's there, hovering at the edge of our minds, watching, anxious and worried. Worried for our safety. For the safety of her children.

The _Queen._

But I'm not one of her children. I can't be, yet still she worries. She promises me everything will be explained, and continues to watch.

Slink can feel her, too. Tremors wrack his body as the powereful presence of the Queen pushes against our minds, wanting to see and evaluate our situation though our thoughts and senses.

I place my hand on Slink's flank as we tail Jarar and Cerra down the ramp. The Queen's worry spikes into fear when the surrounding Hunters level their weapons at Slink and I. Jarar raises his hands and speaks to the others' using their strange barking-clicking language. I was scared. Everything is unfamiliar. I can't make anything out. The smells, the sounds, even the taste of the air is different. I can't tell what anything is, or even where. For the first time in my life, I feel truly blind.

I move closer to Slink, earning a few shocked growls and clicks from the Hunters.. The Queen is still fearful; the Hunters are not lowering their weapons. One steps forward. The leader, I am informed by the Queen. He and Jarar exchange words, and the leader barks a command.

"Janine!" Cerra tries to warn me. What? Suddenly I am grabbed from behind. I scream and struggle, but the Hunter holding me is too strong. Slink snarls, but doesn't move. Terrified, I look at him.

_Janine..._ He wailed. Slink sent me an image. My captor had his plasma castor aimed at my head. If Slink tried to fight, I'd be shot. A Hunter moved toward him, brandishing something. Slink turned and snarled furiously. Something cold was pressed to my temple that was quickly heating up. Slink froze. The approaching Hunter threw what he was holding over Slink; it was a net.

Terror gripped me, and I screamed. _No! Slink, don't let them-_ Something hard slammed into the back of my head, and everything went black.

_**Ohoho! Cliffhanger! Sorry 'bout that. Had to end it there. I promise I'll make it up to you in the next chapter, which should be coming soon! ;) *spoiler alert! New characters coming! Hope ya like!***_

**To dragonrider101:**** That's great, thanks! I'm so glad you enjoyed it! :D**

**To RubyDracoGirl:**** Thanks, it's good to be back! I hope you enjoyed what little humor I put into Cerra's this time. I think I failed, epicly, but I tried. *shrug***

**To AnimeDreama:**** Awesome! You should be pleased with this, then. :)**

**To LynxbyLynx:**** *grins evily* Oh, don't worry. As you can see there is plenty of misfortune to fall! XD**

**To DaLover:**** Thank you! I am very pleased you seem to enjoy what I consider to be mere filler! Awesome! ;D**


	21. Chapter 20

_**Hrrmm... It appears as though I have finally gotten a flamer amongst my many faithful reviewers... who doesn't seem to like the fact that my sweet li'l xeno can kick a Pred's butt. Normally I wouldn't mind that, if he had a little constructive criticism to offer for me, but, personally I **_**don't **_** like being told to "make Jarar a badass or else go f***k myself." That just doesn't sit right with me. It's **_**my**_** story, and I'll do whatever the hell I want with it! :I**_

_**Gah. Sorry guys. Had to get that out. Grrrr... On with the story! (P.S.) Words in bold are Yautja language! :) Oh, and since we are now on the Yautja homeworld, I would like you to know THAT I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE! I'm just making stuff up now. I did do research, but all I got was "tribal setting." I dunno about you guys, but when I think tribal, I think "village" and "leather pelts." Combine that with the meager glimpse of what I assume was the Yautja homeworld in **_**AVP:R**_**, and this is what I get. Sorry about the long note.**_

** CH. 20**

_...up! Wake up!_

I groaned. _Urgh. What?_ I turned over, and instantly pain shot from the back of my skull all the way down my spine. Oh... _Bad_ idea. God that hurts.

_Wake up!_ A high pitched voice squealed in my head, which oddly enough didn't make the pain in my head any worse. Tiny paws pattered on my cheeks, little claws scraping my skin gently. _Wake up!_

_No, _I moaned. I swatted at the paws. _Want sleep..._

_No! _The voice cried. _Not sleep! Wake up!_ I groaned again, and squeezed my eyes shut. _Up! _ The paws were pounding now. _Up, up, up!_

I snarled, _Okay!_ I sat up, throwing the tiny nuisance off me. It squeaked in alarm and I hissed as pain exploded in my head. I reached up and gingerly prodded the area of the pain, and found a lump the size of a baseball forming there. Something pounced on my chest and I looked up in surprise.

_Yes! You up! Now we escape!_ I "stared" at the tiny creature in my lap in absolute shock. It was a serpent, like Slink, only the size of a Chiuaua. Sensing my surprise, it spoke up.

_I different than others. My host small animal, so I small, too! Name Palla! I she!_ Palla licked my chin, and I was doubly surprised; she had a normal tounge!

I smiled in spite of myself. Gathering the tiny creature in my arms, I stood, wincing at the pain in my head. Man, I would kill for a couple Advil right now.

_Nice to meet you, Palla. I'm Janine, _I said. I ran my hand down her back, marvelling at the fact that she had no spines like Slink did, and that unlike Slink's, her body was shaped just like a dog's. Hence her tiny paws. She still had an elongated head, which was smooth, not ridged. I rubbed her little face with my thumb, and smiled wider when she wriggled happily in my arms.

_Yes! Nice to meet you! _She repeated. _Now we escape!_

I frowned at her. I looked around and clucked my tounge, listening to the sound that echoed off the walls. I was locked in a small cell that seemed to have been carved right into the rock surroung me. There was a door in front of me, but it was made of solid metal and had no handle, only a small port like a card slot in an ATM machine. There was no way I could get out of here. But then, how had she gotten in? I assume the Hunters wouldn't have put me in a cell with another serpent.

_Palla..._ I said uncertainly.

_Look!_ She sprung from my arms and bounded to the bottom right hand corner of the door. She looked back at me expectantly. Taking the hint, I knelt next to her, my curiosity piqued. Palla yelped happily and proceeded to shove her nose under the door. A second later she'd clawed her her way through and was on the other side. Where I could no longer feel her. But before I could begin to panic, however, Palla's head was poking back through though the hole, and soon the rest of her body squeezed through.

_See?_ She trilled smugly. _I dig hole to escape!_ I sighed in exasperation.

_Palla, I can't fit theough there!_

Palla made the mental equivalent of an eye-roll i my head. _Duh! That's why I go get passkey for door for you!_ I "stared" at her again, dumbstruck.

_Oh._

Palla made that same odd hissing noise that Slink did when he was laughing. She placed her little paws on my chest so she could stretch up and lick my chin.

_Janine silly, _she said. I couldn't help but chuckle, and scratched her lightly under her chin.

_Okay then, smarty. Why don't you go get me that passkey?_ Palla squeaked with pleasure.

_Yes! Yes, I go get passkey for big sister! Yes!_ She whipped around and disappeared back through the hole. I sat there, baffled.

Big sister?

** ~X-X~**

** Slink**

Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no, _no!_ They took her! I can't believe it! They took her away and I couldn't even do anything to stop them! They would've-

I keened at the thought of what they would've done. Fury filled me, and I threw myself at the walls of my cell, shrieking and snarling.

I promised her- no, I _swore_ that I wouldn't let that happen. I swore to protect her... and I failed. Grief replaced my rage, and I stopped attacking the walls. Instead I began to pace, lost in the angry thoughts that now dominated my mind.

_He _was watching me. The scientist. The one who made me what I am. The very _reason_ all this is happening.

I'll kill him. When I get out of here- and I will- I'm going to make sure he is the first to feel my talons sinking into his flesh. Just the thought filled me with glee.

Right now he's outside, just on the other side of the break-proof glass. No doubt he was preparing a variety of tests for me. I hiss and curl up in the corner farthest away from the window. For now, I'll wait and endure. But when the time arises...

I'm going to make him pay.

**~X-X~**

**Jarar Than 'guan R'ka**

I was astonished. I can understand perfectly why the Chief Elder would take the Hard Meat, but the ooman? It made no sense. She wasn't a threat... Was she? I glanced at the Elder next to me as we walked through, trying to see what he was thinking, but his face was unreadable. Cerra walked behind us, and I could literally _feel_ the rage bubbling off her. I tried my best to ignore the heat of her gaze and instead thought back to the previous events.

As soon as Grin'dur had nocked Janine unconcious, the Hard Meat just... gave up. It put up no fight as it was dragged away by a couple of Youngbloods, my idiot father happily leading the way. Janine was taken down to the prison cells for whatever reason. _Why?_ I wonder.

The Elder growled, pulling me from my thoughts. We had arrived at the hut where he lived. I was surprised, but honored to be invited into the Chief Elder's living space. He walked inside, and Cerra and I followed.

Almost immediately after we stepped over the threshold, Cerra pulled out her swords and held them crossed at my throat. I squawked in alarm and the Elder turned. His amber-colored eyes narrowed slightly as he studied Cerra, then straightened and huffed, obviously pleased with her appearance. Apparently I wasn't going to get any help from him, so I looked back down at Cerra, and nearly balked. She was beyond enraged. Even more than she was when she discovered about her friend's death. Cerra was quite literally, thinking _murder._ Though I couldn't really blame her. I would probably be angry too if-

"What the _fuck_ is going on?" She snarled. "_Why_ did they take them?" I could tell she was barely a hairline away from lopping off my head. I looked at her and replied as calmly as I could.

"I told the Chief Elder-" I gestured at said Yautja. "-that your friend was allied with the Hard Meat-"

"I'm allied with him, too. Did you tell him _that?_" She pressed the blades to my throat, and I was forcibly reminded of how sharp they were. The Elder chuckled, thoroughly enjoying the display before him.

"I was getting to that part. I told him you are a Blooded warrior on Earth. He wishes to see that for himself, and wants to give you a chance to prove yourself to my people."

For a moment she faltered, letting her grip on her swords loosen a she attempted to process what I had just told her. Immediately I grabbed the blades and wrenched them from her hands, being careful not to slice my hands on the razor sharp metal. Chortling smugly, I tossed the weapons to the side, thinking I'd won. I was very wrong.

The next thing I knew, my legs had been swept out from underneath me and I was sprawled on my back. Before I could get up, Cerra leapt on top of me, pulling one of my daggers from it's sheath on my thigh, and pressing it to my throat, holding the blade backhand. All in one smooth movement.

I stared at her through my mask, appalled and more than a little humiliated. She glared at me, straddling my abdomen, her knees on my wrists to keep me pinned. I could've thrown her off, but I was too stunned to move.

The silence in the room suddenly shattered as the Chief Elder threw his head back and roared with laughter. Cerra glanced up at him, then back down at me. Her eyes narrowed into hazel slits before she released me, springing up and landing lightly on her feet. I growled angrily to myself and stood, brushing myself off gruffly as I tried to salvage what was left of my dignity.

I watched as the Elder, still chuckling, moved up to Cerra and take her shoulder in his hand. He shook it gently by way of showing his approval.

"Well done, young warrior, well done." Ignoring Cerra's amazed expression, he looked her over, a puzzled look crossing his face. "But where is your mark?" Cerra frowned, and glanced at me, her anger seeming to have disappeared. She opened her mouth to talk, but I interrupted.

"He means the mark that defines you as a warrior. Every Blooded warrior gets one once they have proven themselves." Understanding crossed her features. She turned to the Elder.

"Oh, my mark is a black belt that I wear in training." She paused to glare pointedly at me, her anger returning in full force. "But it's back on Earth, along with everything _else_ important in my life." The Elder clicked his madibles disaprovingly as he looked at me.

**"She needs a trial. She has already proven herself to her own clan, which you stole her from."**__I started to protest, but he silenced me with a raised hand. **"Now, if she is to stay here, she must prove her worth to ours."**

Movement in my peripheral vision, caught my attention, and I looked to see Cerra had moved and was gathering her swords from where I had thrown them. I looked back at the Elder as he continued speaking. **"Your mission was to bring back the **_**kainde amedha**_** dead or alive. You did. However, returning with two stolen **_**ooman**_** females, who are both warriors in their own right, was not one of your objectives."** I lifted my head at that. **"Go,"** he growled. **"Take her to the empty hut near the training pit. That is where she will be staying. Once she is settled in, we will see what she can do."**

** ~X-X~**

** Cerra**

As we exited the Hunter leader's hut (which I later learned was called the Chief Elder), I suppressed a shudder. The guy had skulls, and other body parts of every imaginable shape and size laying everywhere. A lot I even recognised; there were several human skulls, and a few that looked suspiciously like they once belonged to "hard meats," as the Hunters called them.

Now that we were outside, I could finally get a good look around. I had been too mad before to notice anything, but now I could see that we were in what could only be described as a city. There were buildings that looked like huge pyramids, slightly resembling the ones the Aztecs had. That's what the _History_ channel always showed, anyway. These ones were huge, though. I mean, they were just _monstrous!_ I'm talking put-the-Great-pyramids-of-Giza-to-shame big! They dwarfed the littler buildings that were scattered in between. Houses, most likely. I wondered vaguely what in the universe would they need pyramids like that for.

The atmosphere was weird. It had a strange, reddish-orange tint to it. It almost reminded me of dusk in the desert on Earth. (That's a pretty sight, I'll tell you what. I'd say it about ties with ocean sunsets.)

The vastness worried me. The city was like a maze. I'd never be able to find them. Not on my own anyways. Or they found me first.

"If you're finished gawking, I'll take you to your hut." Jarar said smartly. I sneered at him. That got me thinking. I still hadn't seen one of these "Yautja" guys without a mask on. I wonder what they look like? I don't know if they're anywhere near as ugly as Slink is, but from what I've seen, with their mottled brownish-tan skin and fishnet armor, I don't think they'll be winning ant beauty pagents soon.

Wothout warning, Jarar began to walk away rapidly, and I was forced to run to catch up.

We walked in silence through the streets, occasionally weaving in and out of alleyways to take a shortcut. I was slightly unnerved to see that all the homes were empty. There were many signs that civilized beings did live here; mats made from woven grass, clay pots, hanging armor and meat... and weapons. Lots of weapons. Vicious looking spears, blades and other dangerously sharp objects were strewn reather neatly inside every home we passed.

I could see clearly inside each, since there were no doors or closed windows; just big, squared-off holes for entrances and ventillation. Some had long curtains hanging over them, but most were open. I'm guessing that was a result of the stifling heat that we were walking in. I'd been sweating bullets since we arrived.

Other than all that, there wasn't a single living creature around. Nobody. No one. The place looked deserted.

"Where is everybody?" I blurted suddenly. Jarar sighed.

"At the fighting pit. Youngblood trials for the Unblooded. Everyone goes to see who are to be chosen for the next _chiva._" He responded gruffly. He sounded grouchy. Normal behavior, I suppose. Maybe he was hoping to go the entire trip in silence. Ha! Not while I'm around, buster.

"'Chiva?'"

"Means 'trial.'"

"Oh. I guess that's where we're headed then?" He nodded. "Right." I muttered. "Should be fun."

"First we must stop at the hut the Elder gave you. Get you 'settled in.'" He said that last part with what sounded like a sneer.

Huh. Sorry, big guy, but it looks like you're gonna be stuck with me for a while. Who knows? Maybe things'll turn out okay...

Good Lord, this is gonna be _awful!_

_**And the plot thickens! Well, I'm actually quite proud of this chapter. I feel I did much better on describing the environment. Hope you like the new characters! :D Now about those reviews...**_

**To trexking2000:**** Listen bud, I don't care if you have a problem with my story. Everybody has their preferences. I happen to be a fan of Aliens, and I was kinda getting tired of them always getting blown up and crap by the Predators. Don't get me wrong, I think Predators are awesome, I just thought it was time we turn it around and give the xenos a fighting chance. And as far as Preds killing Queen Aliens, just because they**_** have before**_** doesn't mean they **_**do.**_** Killing a Queen is extremely difficult and near suicidal to even the toughest Yautja warriors. Perhaps you would know that if you did a bit of research yourself.**

**To Dr. Edward Richtofen:**** Hello, new reviewer! I was actually thinking about having Janine "use her mind controlling powers of awesomeness" (lol) to escape, but I felt that she was too scared to do that. Besides, don't you think it would be hard to mind-control **_**all**_** the Preds that were there? ;) I'm so happy that you like my story! That makes me happy!**

**To dragonrider101:**** Here is what happens next. Hope you enjoyed! :D**

**To DaLover:**** Yes, the Preds do know about the Queen. If I remember correctly, I think Jarar explained that to them before... I'm not sure... perhaps I forgot to put that? :C Maybe I should check on that. I just wanna be sure! *starts ripping out hair in frustration***

**To AnimeDreama:**** Is this interesting enough for ya? ;D**

**To RubyDracoGirl:**** Aww, thank you! I'm glad to hear it!**


	22. Chapter 21

_**Ladies and gents, I present chapter 21 of "Family!" If you have any questions/comments/smart-ass remarks, etc. please wait to review until the end of the chapter. Thank you.**_

** CH. 21**

** Janine**

It wasn't long before Palla was clawing her way back through the dirt hole with a strange chip clenched between her teeth. I couldn't wait to get out of this cell, but at least the pain in my head had subsided a bit. It was a huge relief to hear Palla's delighted squeak.

_See! I have passkey! Pulled right from Yautja belt! Taste nasy, though._

I grinned and knelt to pull the passkey from her mouth. It was all wet and slimy from her saliva, but I didn't mind. I was used to it, and it would still work fine. At least I hoped. I reached down and stoked my hand from the top of her head down the base of her tail.

_Good, Palla. Good._ I murmured. She arched her back and purred surprisingly loudly for such a small creature, pleased to have my approval. Grimacing, I stood and walked quickly to the door.

_Must hurry,_ Palla whispered, jumping up to perch on my left shoulder. _Yautja making rounds. Checks cells with passkey. He find out fast. _I nodded and slid the key into the port, and smiled as it slid open silently. My smile faded immediately as a very angry sounding roar resounded down the tunnel, echoing rather menacingly off the stone walls.

_Run away!_ Palla cried. She screeched in surprise as I took off in the other direction, nearly falling off my shoulder. She quickly repositioned herself, wrapping her tail lightly around my neck and wringing her claws into my hair. I could feel her indignation as she pricked my scalp gently with her claws. I winced.

_Sorry!_ I said. I could now hear heavy footsteps thundering on the groung behind us.

_Not say sorry!_ Palla hissed. _Run faster!_ I did, too. I ran as fast as my skinny legs could carry me. But I could hear the pounding footsteps getting closer.

The guard was gaining.

The tunnel ahead suddenly split off in two directions, one going left, the other going right.

_Which way?_ I shouted. I could feel the panic begin to build in my chest as we drew rapidly nearer.

_Left!_ Pall cried. I skidded in the dirt, noting the sound ot the rapid pulse of my heart in my ears as I reached the corner and veered sharply left. Palla's grip on me tightened as she was almost thrown _again._ This time I didn't bother trying to apologize, as there was another "T" section up ahead.

_Right!_ Palla yelped. I veered right.

Suddenly, the ground sloped and, naturally, I stumbled. Palla shrieked as we were both sent tumbling down the steep incline. I nearly landed on poor little Palla when we ground painfully to a stop at the bottom. I groaned, my aching body protesting loudly as I pushed myself up into a sitting position. None of this was doing anything to help my headache, either.

"Palla?" I called in a hushed voice.

_Here._ I felt her nudge my hand and gently scooped her up, holding her protectively to my chest.

_You okay?_

_ Yes, yes, fine. Not want to do that again, though._ I smiled. I couldn't agree more.

Cradling her in my arms, I cocked my head to listen. Nothing. No more footsteps.

_Do you think we lost the- What was he? Yautja?_ I asked.

_Yes. Yautja go left; we go right. Took wrong turn. We safe for now._ Palla replied.

_Hmmm... That's good. But for how long?_ I mused. I continued walking down the new corridor. It, like everything else on this planet, was unfamiliar, and yet I found that I could "see" fairly easily down here. It smelled like wet cement, with a hint of mold. I wrinkled my nose, though it really wasn't that bad.

I felt Palla dig her claws into the fabric of my T-shirt (which I realized with disgust was filthy) and pull herself up so she could nuzzle her head under my chin. I gently began to stroke her spine, and she sighed contentedly.

_Do you know where this leads?_ I asked quietly.

_Yes. It goes to Mother's chamber._

_ The Queen. _I stated.

_Yes. Mother waited to see you and your mate long time._

I froze and looked down at her, confused. _What? My mate?_

Palla shifted and lifted her head. She tilted her head at me. _Yes,_ she said slowly, like she was talking to a moron. _The big one, called..._ She paused, trying to remember. _Slink._ I was stupefied.

_Woah, woah, woah! Hang on. He is _not_ my mate!_

_ Yes! Slink your mate! Mother says!_ Palla squeaked. _Ask Mother!_ I would've argued, but I knew there was no way I would win an argument with Palla. I grumbled.

_Fine. I'll ask._ She gave a happy little squeal. Palla snuggled back into my shirt, and promptly fell asleep. I couldn't help but grin as I continued the long trek down the hall.

She was so _cute!_

** ~X-X~**

** Cerra**

"This is where you will be staying," Jarar rumbled, gesturing at the small stone building in front of me. It looked just like the other ones I had seen, just a little smaller. I stepped inside the doorway for a better look inside. There was dust and dirt everywhere, and it was completely empty except for a grass sleeping mat, a table with a few clay bowls sitting on it, and a small fireplace in the back corner.

The hut itself was located at the edge of a dense forest, slightly away from other buildings, which would be good for me I suppose. I spotted a large trail leading into the forest, and judging by how well worn it was, I'd guess it led down to the fighting pit. Turning back to my new hut, I ran a critical eye over it once more.

"It needs a lot of cleaning up," I muttered to myself. Looking around, I noticed something shiny sticking out of the dirt floor. I moved to pick it up, and carefully wiped the dust off it with with my thumb.

It was a dagger. Or at least it was to the Yautjas. On me it was more like a short sword, a few inches longer than my forearm. It balanced almost perfectly in my hand, feeling particularly good when I held it backhand. I honestly wasn't shocked to find it here; I'd seen so many weapons scattered about the city that I would be amazed if I _didn't _find one just laying around in seemingly random places. I brought the dagger closer to my face for further examination.

The hilt seemed to be made out of a bone of some kind, with little symbols carved into the side, almost alike to the ones I had seen on the door panel on Jarar's ship. The blade itself was forged out of the same type of silver metal as Jarar's own blades, or at least something that looked very similar. It was ornately fashioned, with several curving "hooks" that pointed backward, designed to rip and tear the flesh. It was meant to cause a lot more damage coming out than going in. It looked slightly worn, but it was still very sharp. A beautiful weapon, and in the right hands, very deadly. A thought came to me.

"Did someone live here once?" I asked. Jarar nodded.

"A Youngblood, like me. Died during a hunt a few cycles ago."

Oh. Well. That was comforting. I held up the dagger.

"Did this belong to him?" He shook his head.

"Maybe, but I don't think so. He preferred long ranged weaponry, like the combi stick and plasma castors. He was skilled with the spear, and could nail a Hard Meat to a tree from twenty lengths away."

I nodded. "So, if not him, then who?" Jarar leaned forward to study it closer. He shrugged.

"You, I suppose. It doesn't look familiar to me."

"Ah. Okay then." Weird. I set on the table. I probably find or make a sheath for it later when I got the chance.

"Are you ready to leave?" Jarar growled. He seemed impatient for some reason.

"Uh-huh," I said absently. I didn't see what the big rush was. I mean, it's not like a nything serious is gonna happen at the arena, right? Just a couple of newbie trials... Right? Oh, yeah. I forgot that I'm supposed to "prove my worth" to the clan. Suddenly, I felt a greater urgency to reach the arena.

Jarar beckoned me, and we headed for the trail leading into the woods. I walked quickly to keep up with him. The fast pace didn't bother me at all. My body was in perfect condition. I probably could've ran the whole way if I wanted. Actually, that didn't sound like a bad idea. I broke into an easy jog. Soon, Jarar was the one working to keep up. Still, he seemed happy with the new pace.

It felt amazingly good to finally work my muscle after days of inactivity. I thought the trees were pretty, if different than the ones back on Earth. At least the leaves were still green. After a moment of warming up, I found myself thoroughly enjoying the exercise.

In no time we had made it to the pit. And that's exactly what it was; a circular pit dug into the ground, surrounded by bleachers that were filled with- Oh.

So _that's_ what they look like.

Almost none of the Yautja present were wearing masks, and if I thought Slink was ugly, these guys were just as bad, if not worse.

Each Yautja had four mandibles covering their mouths that reminded me strongly of crablegs. They had large, broad foreheads with heavy eybrows overshadowing sunken-in eyes. It made them all look very angry, even though they most likely weren't.

They came in different colors, too. Some were tan with mottled brown spots, like Jarar, some were darker brown or reddish in color. A few I spotted had grey, or even green skin. No two I saw were alike, but they all had the same defining features. They were all dressed in very tribal looking clothing. Y'know, loincloths, leather pelts. The works.

There was also a very obvious distinction between males and females. The females, I noted with interest, were larger than the males.

Cool.

All in all, not a very attractive species. Not by human standards anyway. I probably shouldn't judge, though. I'm probably just as ugly to them as they are to me.

I sighed mentally. Oh well. At least they didn't drool.

"Come," Jarar whispered to me. "The trials are about to start." He led me past the bleachers towards a slightly raised set. I was amazed to see the Chief Elder already sitting in the center-most chair.

Several of the Yautja sitting down turned to stare as we passed. Some turned to their neighbor to whisper in their language. I held my head high, not letting it show how intimidated I really was. One in particular I thought I recognized. He was dark red, with a long scar over his left eye. He actually growled at me, and it was then that it struck me that I _had_ seen him before. He was the one that knocked out Janine and dragged her away! I stopped, feeling the rage begin to build in my chest, all nervousness momentarily forgotten.

I looked at him. He must've seen he fury in my eyes, becuase he stopped growling and narrowed his beady yellow eyes. I held his gaze, and I noticed dimly the buzz around us had quieted. The Yautja nearest to us glanced around, looking slightly nervous, waiting for something to happen. Suddenly, I felt a large hand grip my arm and start dragging me away. I didn't resist, but I kept my eyes on the red Yautja. Jarar dragged me to the podium, hissing in my ear the entire way.

"What the _pauk_ do you think you're doing trying to pick a fight with _Grin'dur,_ of all people?" I ripped my gaze away from the Yautja and turned to glare at Jarar.

"I wasn't trying to pick a fight with anybody." I spat furiously. "He's the won that took Janine!" Jara snorted.

"I don't care about that right now! He's probably going to take that as a challenge and volunteer to fight you!"

I sneered at him. "So _let him!_ I'll kick his sorry Yautja ass straight to last week!" I snarled. Jarar growled in frustration, but by now we had reached the podium, and the Chief Elder stood. Immediately the entire pit went silent, and the Elder began to speak.

"'We are gathered here today for the annual trials of worth,'" Jarar translated in a whisper for me. "'Today, is a special day. Today we have been honored with the presence of a warrior, fully Blooded by her clan. She has proven herself to her clan, now she must do the same for ours.'" The Elder then turned and waved me forward. I stepped up next to him, feeling the fluttering butterflies in my abdomen turn to little lead balls that dropped sickeningly to the floor of my stomach. The Elder raised his hands and called out to the crowd. Even though I couldn't understand what was being said, I still got the gist of what he was doing.

He was asking for volunteers to fight me. Of course, the only one who did was Mister Red himself. Jarar called him Grinder or something like that, but I think I like Mister Red better. Our eyes locked again, and instantly the lead balls disappeared. I actually found myself almost eager as he stepped into the circle. I glanced back at Jarar.

"Are there any rules I should know about?" He was silent for a moment.

"Don't lose." He growled. Right. Why didn't I think of that? I rolled my eyes at him before stepping into the ring to join Mister Red.

I smirked when I saw he was decked out in full gear, ready to fight. I had nothing but my trusty katanas, so nothing could weigh me down. The crowd roared, eager for the carnage to begin. Somehow, I knew they wern't cheering for me. We walked to the center of the pit and faced each other. He quickly pulled out his weapon of choice; the combi stick. Prick didn't even bother with the customary bow. I smiled and pulled out my swords.

Spears are the most difficult weapon to deal with when using swords due to the long reach. I felt my smile stretch into a toothy, manic grin.

That's why I made dealing with spear-using opponents my specialty.

Without warning, he lunged, roaring. But I had been expecting that, and sidestepped his jab easily. I knew his type. He was impatient, and would rely more on brute strength to overpower me. But I had speed. Speed always outdoes strength. The trick is to simply wait for an opening, and strike hard and fast with impunity.

I ducked as Grinder spun, swinging his stick like a golf club, roaring again. Idiot. Doesn't even know how to use a spear properly. He swung again from the opposite direction, but this tim bringing the bladed tip up to aim at my gut. A good tactic, I admit, but one I was familiar with.

I twisted, feeling the blade graze the back of my shirt. The crowd roared. Mister Red snarled and started to turn, but his recovery was too slow. Before he could come around witha nother attack, I threw my self at the ground and rolled behind his legs, coming up in a crouch. I swung both my swords vertically, slicing twin gashes in his calves. Flourescent green blood spurted and he roared in pain, falling to his knees. I had severed both achilles tendons, and his legs were no longer able to supprt his weight. I grinned. Worked like a charm.

For the Coupe de Grace, I ran at him and leapt into a flying kick, landing both my heels into a pressure point in the small of his back, right above his lower spine. The Yautja's back arched and his combi stick flew out of his hand as I landed in the crabwalk position behind him.

The crowd had fallen silent.

Popping back up to my feet, I watched. Grinder swayed for a moment, then fell forward onto his hands, groaning. I walked up to him and pressed the tip of my blade against his throat. I looked up at me and snarled defiantly. He thought I was going to kill him. I shook my head.

I heard footsteps behind me, but I didn't dare take my eyes off the wounded Yautja to look. It was only when I felt a hand fall lightly on my shoulder did I turn. It was the Elder. He had removed his mask, and I could see that his top left mandible was missing. He nodded, and I removed my sword from Grinder's throat. The Elder nodded to me again, and I could see the respect in his eyes. A couple of Yautja came and dragged a defeated and snarling Mister Red away on a stretcher of some sort. Medics, I guessed.

I was startled when the Elder grabbed my wrist and lifted it so I was holding my sword high above my head, Grinder's green blood highlighting the razor edge. For several sconds, not a sound could be heard from the audience, until a single triumphant roar rang out and sent the entire crowd into chaotic cheers. I looked around to see who it was, and smiled.

It was Jarar.

_**Okay, so how'd you like it? I don't think I did a very good job writing the fight scene, and Cerra's sec. was a bit long, but y'know, I try.**_

**To Apocalypse Survivor:**** Thanks, and you're welcome. I love making people happy with the reviews I leave. :)**

**To Dr. Edward Richtofen:**** I know what you meant. I was just saying that if the one disobeyed his orders then she would have to deal with all the others trying to grab her, which is why she would need to try and control all of them, more specifically the leader. :)**

**To RubyDracoGirl:**** *giggle* Down, girl, down! lol Thanks for that. I'm so glad I have you to back me up against the evils of nonsense flamers! XD**

**To dragonriger101:**** Yes, I do agree! Thank you. No need to feel bad. I was bound to have at least one flamer. It was to be expected. :)**

**To DaLover:**** You're close. One of those guesses is correct. I won't tell you which one though! *evil smile***

**To AnimeDreama: ****I like cookies... :) Hope you enjoyed this one!**

**To LynxbyLynx:**** Ehehehe... Moment of confusion FTW! I'm glad you like it. I'm eager to hear what you have to say about this one! :D**


	23. Chapter 22

_**EEEEP! 111 REVIEWS! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! THANK YOU GUYS! I LOVE YOU! XD**_

_**Err... Anyways, well, I am almost out of pre-written chapters, and yes, I did struggle a bit with that last one. I had to completely rewrite it because I didn't like the way it turned out the first time. And I suck at fight scenes anyway. TT_TT **_**OOOH! Who's seen the new Transformers movie? Oh. My. GAD! Or should I say, Primus! That was probably the most EPIC movie I've EVER seen! In case any of you haven't, I'm not gonna give out any spoilers, but you absolutely HAVE to go see it! It's AMAZING! O3O**

** CH. 22**

** Slink**

The tests the scientist preformed on me wern't as painful as I thought they would be. So far all he'd done is use certain materials to test my level of intelligence, like how well I could understand words and if I could identify certain shapes. Now he was calling out the names of a few of the objects, namely the ball and the small cube that a mechanical arm had set in front of me. I didn't respond, just sat unmoving in the middle of my cell with my tail curled around my legs.

I didn't want him to know what I knew. If I could fool him into thinking I'm nothing more than a dumb animal, that would be perfect. The more frustrated I could get him, the more likely he'll end up making a stupid mistake that could benefit me. No matter what he did, I would not give him any reason to believe that I could think of anything beyond eating, sleeping, and sitting.

A few times he had a little rod slide out of the wall that resembled a long cattle prod. I didn't react until the electrified end touched me, sending a rather painful jolt through my body. I simply moved away and settled in a corner.

This frustrated the scientist to no end, as I was giving him almost no data to record, and after a while he just gave up and sat, watching me. Waiting for me to do something, _anything_ that might give him some information on what he'd created.

After several long minutes of staring, the scientist heaved a long-suffering sigh and stood. I watched, feigning disinterest as he dialed in a combination on a small keypad and the door slid open. I also sensed him pull something from his pocket and set it on the table with some of his "tools" I guess they were. I took note of this, feeling it might be important to know later on. A moment later the scientist was gone and the door closed tightly behind him.

I exhaled in relief. Finally! I stood and stretched luxuriously, arching my back and savoring the feeling of my muscles flexing after hours of sitting. I purred and crouched, bunching the muscles in my legs before uncoiling and springing up onto the ceiling. Now my perspective of the floor and ceiling had switched. Moving silently, I roamed the walls of my cell, exploring every corner and crack between the tiles in each.

I wondered idly what Janine was doing...

** ~X-X~**

** Janine**

_You have passkey? Need key for door._ Smiling, I pushed the chip into the key port by the door. Like all the others, it slid sideways and disappeared into the wall. Almost instantly _her_ presence slammed into my consciousness with the force of a sledgehammer. The next thing that hit me was the scent; a damp, heavy musk slightly reminiscent of seeweed, mixed with the sharp chemical odor of chlorine.

_Mother!_ Palla squeaked, and jumped excitedly from my arms. As soon as she hit the ground she was off, bounding quickly through the open doorway and into the colossal chamber that I knew housed the Queen. I pulled the passkey from the port and stepped over the threshold, allowing the door to close, but my nerves prevented me from venturing any further. She was _huge!_ The Queen had to have been at least twenty-five feet tall, and that wasn't including the large crest she had protecting her head and neck! And this was the _Queen._ She could send her entire hive after me and have me dead anytime she wanted. That is, if she didn't simply kill me herself.

A tsunami of reassuring emotions flooded my mind, and all my worries just... vanished. I stiffened, feeling the Queen's overpowering mind merge with my own.

_Come closer, small one. You are in no danger here._ She spoke softly, her tone gentle and... motherly? No one had ever spoken to me like that. I had never known my own mother, and the caretakers at the orphanage were... less than kind. I only knew what a mother was supposed to be like by spending time with Jack and Cerra's moms, but even then... I felt the Queen press her mind comfortingly against mine, quietly calling me closer.

Slowly, as though in a stupor, I made my way over to her until I was standing underneath where she hung suspended on chains to accomodate the large, swollen egg sac I suddenly knew she was bearing. I felt her relief, and her happiness swell as I looked up at her. Palla squabbled at my feet, jumping around and yipping in excitement.

_See? I bring big sister! Safe and sound like you say!_ She yelped. The Queen's amused purr resonated throughout the chamber, so deep and loud I could feel it rumbling in my chest. She lowered her great head.

_Well done, little Palla._ She purred. Palla squealed loudly and sprinted to a small hole nearby, chattering happily the whole way. The Queen then turned to me and I felt my pulse quicken in response. She lowered her head farther to my level, and inhaled my scent experimentally. Just her face was bigger than my whole upper body. She sighed heavily, and her hot breath blew over me. I was amazed to find that it didn't even smell. I focused all my attention on her as she prepared to speak.

_Long have I awaited the day that I would finally see my most distant daughter. That we may finally have a chance to gain freedom from the Yautja._ She paused, taking a moment to read my confused thoughts. She tilted her head. _But you do not yet know of the many tasks that lay on the path ahead for you and your mate..._ I arched an eyebrow at that. Once again reading my thoughts, she purred, her previous amusment returning. _Child, you do not understand._ The Queen sounded like she was chuckling._ A mate is the one you can always trust and depend on to protect you, and who depends on you as well. Someone with whom you have formed a powerful bond that cannot be severed by distance or time, and remains loyal even after death._

I frowned. What did she mean "loyal even after death?" Where _was _Slink? If what she said was true, shouldn't I be able to feel him? I can't feel him! How will I be able to find him? Why-?

_ I will answer those questions momentarily,_ she hissed gently, calming me before I could start freaking out. _But for now you must know of your true heritage, and the only way for me to explain it completely is to start with how I came to live on your homeworld._ I froze. _My _homeworld? How could she have possibly been on Earth? The Queen laughed quietly in my head, smiling mentally. _That is what I am going to tell you, if you'll listen for a moment._ I felt my cheeks warm in embarrassment.

The Queen purred and I suddenly felt her massive tail wrap around my waist. It was at least three times as thick as Slink's, and I had no idea how long it was. My breath caught in my throat as I was lifted high in the air, and soon found myself being deposited carefully on her back. Confused, I settled myself in an indent near the base of her neck, located between her shoulder blades, and leaned back against the smallest spike growing out of her spine. Slink had one just like it, I realized.

_Now,_ she began. _Your heritage. You are confused as to why I call you my daughter, yes?_ I nodded, sending my confirmation through our link. I felt her acknowledgement, and she lifted her huge head, preparing to launch into her tale. I settled down more comfortably, and was startled when Palla suddenly appeared in my lap.

_I listen too!_ She announced. I grinned, and tuned in to listen as the Queen's voice reverbrated inside my skull.

** ~X-X~**

** Jarar**

Cerra and I walked in silence back towards her hut. We were both lost in our own thoughts, so the quiet wasn't really uncomfortable. I would imagine she was thinking about her victory in the fighting pit, but with the expression she was wearing now, I'm not so sure. She looked... troubled about something. I felt a little concern, but I said nothing, preferring to keep to my own thoughts.

She had fought well. Of course, I hadn't doubted that she would, but I was still surprised at how quickly she'd dispatched Grin'dur. He was a respected warrior, well known for his brutality in combat. Not many I know would cross him willingly. He would not have "gone easy" on Cerra, but I believe he understimated her severely, perhaps a bit angered that she would stand her ground against him as she did, and that ultimately lead to his defeat.

Still, I couldn't help but feel a small amount of pride for Cerra's achievement. There would be no more doubt in her abilities, and I was sure things were going to get easier from now on.

**~X-X~**

** Cerra**

I. Can't. Freaking. _Believe _it.

How the hell did I beat that guy? I never really thought about it before; I was too focused on actually fighting him to consider the fact that, for all intents and purposes, I should have _died._ Or at the very least had a much harder time beating him.

He did seem pretty pissed off though... Maybe his anger got the better of him, clouded his judgment. Sensei Me Lung always warned me against letting my emotions take hold, as they would blind me and thus spell disaster for... What was he always said? Oh yeah. "It would spell disaster for you and your kindred." Yeah. I never quite understood it.

But, I have more pressing things to consider. Like the most important question that was ever invented in the history of questions; _What now?_

I need to find Janine and Slink, but how? There's no way I'm gonna find them by myself. Nuh-uh. Not in a place like this.

I glanced at Jarar, who was walking silently next to me. I wished once again that I could see his face so I could at least try and figure out what he was thinking. Would he help me? I was sure he knew where they were, I mean... I was _pretty_ sure... I sighed and glanced at Jarar again, and nearly jumped clean out of my skin. He was looking right at me. I huffed and glowered at him.

"What? Is there something interesting about my face or are you just being creepy for kicks?"

He seemed startled by the sudden harshness of my voice. He growled and turned away. I continued to look at him. Somehow, he looked... _embarrassed?_ I frowned. Okay. Strange. Then I got an idea.

I leaned forward so I could see his mask. He looked back at me. I grinned and he tilted his head curiously.

"What?" He asked. My grin widened and I said nothing. Just stared. Now _he _was the one who was getting creeped out. He growled to himself and turned his gaze ahead of him, apparently now trying to ignore me. I stifled a giggle, and kept my eyes on the side of his head. I wanna see how long it'll be until he snaps.

It didn't take long.

Jarar whirled on me and snarled.

"_What_ do you keep staring at me for? There can't possibly be anything _that_ interesting about my mask!" This time I couldn't contain my laughter. His furious demeanor quickly turned to one of utter bafflement as I threw my head back and belted out peals of hysterical merryment. "What?" He asked again. I laughed harder, bending over and clutching my sides as cramps started to take hold. Now Jarar looked concerned. He looked around uneasily while I fought unsuccessfully to control my hysteria.

It took a while, but I finally managed to get hold of myself. Still giggling, I looked up at Jarar, who was now staring at me, probably thinking I was an absolute looney.

"The Stare test." I gasped out. He gaped.

"The _what?_"

I took a deep breath to steady myself. "The Stare test. It's a thing we humans do on Earth to try and get on each other's nerves. We stare at someone to see how long they can go on without flipping out." I snickered. "I wanted to see how well you fared at it."

"Oh." He seemed to be frowning, but I wasn't sure because of that damn mask. He glanced at me. "I didn't do well, did I?" I forced myself not to burst into giggles again at his sheepish tone, allowing only a soft chuckle to escape.

"You did okay, for a newbie. About average." I grinned at him, and this time, I _swear_, I knew he smiled back.

**~X-X~**

_**Hurr... Finally got this one done. As always, review and let me know what you think. Btw, I'm gonna put the little **__**~X-X~**__** at the bottom of each chapter so you can tell when it ends. It will be underlined.**_

**To DaLover:**** Hopefully, your request will be granted! I am planning on plenty of ass-kicking from Cerra. I know the fight scene wasn't great, but I promise I will improve!**

**To LynxbyLynx:**** Yeah, you're right. I'm glad you understood what I was trying to portray him as. I swear I will make future fight scenes better!**

**To AnimeDreama:**** Sweet! I'm glad you liked it! hehe I thought you would like Palla. I've fallen in LOVE with her! (Is that weird? O_O)**

**To Apocalypse Survivor:**** lol I liked your rhyming! And thanks! I'm glad I have you to tackle the evil flamers with me! ^_^**

**To The Silent Hunter:**** Thank you! I'm so pleased you enjoyed. How did you like the Queen, I wonder?**

**To RubyDracoGirl:**** Yay! I'm happy! I made someone giggle! Yay again! Thank you for all your support. You've been here from the beginning! I DON'T DESERVE PEOPLE LIKE YOU! XO**

**To dragonrider101:**** I dunno, do you? ;) Thank you so much for reading! You don't know how much I appreciate it! ,:)**


	24. Chapter 23

_**Ugh. School starts tomorrow. My first day as a sophomore. **_**Not. Happy**_**. Sorry about the wait guys. I spent the entire week gathering school supplies and… **_**shopping**_**. I **_**HATE**_** shopping. It was **_**torture.**_** The horror… The HORROR! D: Not to mention the fact that this chapter was **_**hard. **_** -_-**_

_**~X-X~**_

**Ch. 23**

**The Queen**

_ Hundreds of years ago, I was placed on your planet by the race now known to the universe as Yautja. At the time your kind, the humans, were a primitive, tribal race. When the Yautja arrived, they were perceived by the humans as gods, and were worshipped as such._

_ When the Yautja demanded a sacrifice, the humans gave themselves gladly. _

_ Then, I was very young and inexperienced. I didn't know what was wanted from me, only that I needed a hive, and the humans would make perfect hosts. The Yautja had the humans build great temples in their honor, but one, the largest of all, would serve as my prison. They placed me in a chamber deep within, and chained me to the walls and ceiling just as I am now. There was no way of escaping, and I was frightened._

_ Soon, I sensed hosts nearby and my fears vanished. I lay many eggs, but only six found hosts. This confused me. I had sensed so many more hosts, so why only six?_

_ Little did I know of the suffering my ignorance would cause._

_ My first children were born mere hours later, and I quickly sent them out in search of new hosts, unaware of the danger that lurked in the halls. My youngest daughter, the smallest of the six, stepped into a corridor. I remember hearing her shriek, then immediately after feeling blinding pain in my chest as she was destroyed. Her life-force quickly slipped from my mind, our connection severed permanently. Panicked, I reached out to touch the minds of the remaining five. Their fear was almost overwhelming, and I watched through their senses while they hid in the shadows. A Yautja warrior was standing triumphantly over my daughter's lifeless body. He ripped his spear from her chest and held it above his head. He roared, and I could hear him all the way from my prison chamber._

_ Enraged, I ordered my children to attack, and they did. The Yautja was caught off guard, and was quickly ripped apart before he could retaliate. We had our revenge. But our victory was short lived, as two more Yautja had rounded the corner, alerted by their brother's cries. They fired upon my daughters with their plasma weapons, and a fierce battle launched. Two of my daughters were blown away before they could reach the Yautja, but the remaining three leapt. One more was shot out of the air, her blood spattering the walls and melting the stone. My eldest tangled with the largest Yautja, both growling and snarling challenges. I felt the Yautja's blade slice through her ribcage. She screamed in pain and rage, and sank her teeth into the warriors unguarded neck, completely ignoring the devastating wound in her side. Her secondary jaws lashed out, easily severing his spinal cord._

_ The warrior went limp beneath her and she released him. Her sister screamed at her right, and I cried with her when I felt her life extinguished. The surviving Yautja dropped my child's body, letting it land in a crumpled heap on the stone floor. He turned to face my eldest. The warrior had a large hole punched in his left shoulder that was bleeding profusely. Possibly life-threatening if not treated soon._

_ My last daughter snarled and lunged in spite of her injuries. They fell into the wall, debris and dust flying with the force of the impact. I keened in triumph and pain as my daughter's tail slammed through the Yautja's chest at the same time the blades on his wrist were plunged into the soft flesh of her abdomen. The Yautja kicked her off him, and they both collapsed onto the floor, their injuries finally taking their toll._

_ The Yautja warrior died less than a few seconds later; his heart had been pierced by the blade on my daughter's tail. I gently touched her mind, forcing myself to bear her suffering as she struggled for life on the ground. Her mind latched onto mine, and I did my best ease her pain. Her belly was split open and her entrails lay spread around her limp frame, the acidic blood slowly seeping into the stone floor. Agony gripped my heart, if you could call it that, as I felt her essence drain away. Her pitiful cries faded to gasping moans as she fought to stay alive. She began to claw the ground until I ordered her to be still._

_ Slowly, slowly, I felt her mind begin to close, and I let her go, finally allowing her pain to end._

_ I lifted my head and roared, furious, confused and grieving for the loss of my children. They hadn't even been allowed to live a single day before they were wiped from existence. I could feel the temperature of my chamber suddenly begin to drop rapidly. Soon it got so cold I had to go into hibernation, or risk freezing to death. I stayed awake. I wanted to die. I deserved it, for being unable to protect my offspring. Why should I get to live when they had to be slaughtered? But I had no choice in the matter. I was connected to a machine that pumped sedatives into my body, and I could feel my systems shutting down as I was forced into involuntary stasis. The Yautja wanted me alive._

_ I don't know how long it was before I woke again, but the Yautja had returned. Once again, six hosts were provided, and soon I had six new born drones under me once again. I reveled in their presence, and they returned the feelings. This time I did not send them out into the open. Now I knew better. Instead they travelled within the walls, staying hidden in the dark and skirting around the new Hunters, avoiding confrontation. I still needed new hosts, and it soon became apparent that there were none to be found inside the temple that held us captive._

_ I realized that the Yautja had to come from somewhere, and I knew that somewhere wasn't this prison. It seemed logical to assume that wherever these dreadful Hunters came from must be where the other hosts were. Perhaps if we stayed hidden long enough, the Yautja would become impatient and go back to this somewhere? I had to find out._

_ My six children followed the Yautja hunters, moving as silent shadows in their wake. The Hunters quickly grew nervous. The longer my children went without revealing themselves, the edgier the Yautja seemed to get. They travelled close together, watching all sides, guarding each other, weapons always at the ready. _

_ We continued to watch, waiting._

_ The walls began to shake, and the drones shifted around in the shadows, accommodating the now changing environment while still keeping their quarry in sight. A wall slid aside to reveal a ramp of sorts, leading upward. The Yautja hurried up it, eager to get away, and my children followed. Fresh, humid air hit them, startling the drones back into the relative safety of the temple. They looked cautiously out at the strange new atmosphere. Through them, I sensed the many hundreds of human hosts that lived just outside the temple walls._

_ We had reached the surface._

**~X-X~**

_**Sorry guys. Gotta end it there. I feel like this chapter would be too long if I put the Queen's entire story in one part. I'm a little bit worried about how my faithful readers will take it though…**_

_**Anyway. How'd ya like it? Was it a good idea to commit a whole chapter to the Queen's tail? (LOL pun XD) I think the next chapter's gonna be the same way, with the second half of her story of course. Please review and let me know! **_

**To The Silent Hunter:**** Good. I'm glad I could clear things up for you! Did you like this one? :I**

**To AnimeDreama:**** Whew! That's a relief! I'm pleased you liked it. **

**To DaLover:**** Lol, no! The Queen did**_** not**_** rape anybody! *giggles, blushing madly* Don't worry, that all should be cleared up within the next chapter or two. XD**

**To dragonrider101:**** Thank you! :D I'm SO happy you find my story original and well written! That makes me feel a lot better. **

**To LynxbyLynx:**** Thanks! I'm sure you're not the only one who was a bit confused… Hmmm. I think I even confused myself a couple times when I was (and still am) plotting the outcome of this story! XD**


	25. Chapter 24

_**Thanks to all those who voted for me. It really helped motivate me enough to get this done. Also, special thanks goes to Khalthar and The Silent Hunter, without whom I never would've finished this. Silent Hunter, you are a great conversationalist and whether you know it or not, you did help me a lot.**_

_**Khalthar, your help has been invaluable to the progress of this story. If you hadn't lent me your thoughts and ideas, I wouldn't have a plot and I would still be stuck with writer's block. (Not to mention the, err... **_**interesting**_** conversation we had over Godzilla.)**_

_**Several ideas that will show up later on in the story do in fact belong to Khalthar. I'll mention them as they appear. To do so any earlier would spoil the story. Disclaimer: I do not own Aliens or Predators. If I did, Aliens would take over the world and Arnold Schwarzenegger would be dead. Enjoy. :)**_

**The Queen:**_**Part Two**_

_We dominated the surface world._

_ It was mere hours before the majority of the human civilization was taken and used as food and hosts for my growing hive. The remainder either went into hiding for fear of being dragged away, or they fled their great city in hopes of finding safety outside the walls._

_ The Yautja hunters fought back, of course. They each slew many of my children, each life stolen hurting no less than the last. However, we had the advantage of numbers. For every drone and warrior killed, ten more would move to replace them. The Hunters were driven back, all the way up to the very peak of the great temple, once a well-guarded prison, now a sanctuary serving as protection for eggs and hatchlings, and my home._

_ There they made their final stand, lasting but a few minutes before they were overtaken. I raised my head and roared in triumph. At last, freedom. The Yautja were dead, and finally, our dynasty could thrive…_

_ An explosion rocked the temple._

_ The life forces of all my children, all four-thousand five-hundred-twenty-six of them, disappeared. It happened too fast for me to even register the shock, even as tremors shook the walls, causing dust and bits of the ceiling to rain down over my head. There was no pain this time, just a sudden emptiness, a deep, cold void where the hive-mind once existed. I hung there, suspended on my chains, stunned into stillness, as once again the temperatures dropped, and I was again lulled into slumber by the powerful sedatives being pumped into my body._

_ Hibernation was longer this time. Much longer. I know this because when I next woke, frost and ice clung to the walls and ceiling and floor, even to me. I could sense my breath freezing in the bitter air, and the cold began to sink deep into my frame, delving all the way to my very bones. But I couldn't go back into hibernation, though I wanted to. The new chemicals being forced into my system wouldn't allow for it. Then, involuntarily, I began to lay. The great egg sack attached to my body produced six eggs, just like before. I watched as they were each carried away on a moving stone belt into a tunnel just large enough for them to fit through _

_ This didn't make sense to me. Before this only happened when the Yautja hunters arrived, and hosts had been available. Surely there could be no suitable hosts here; it was barely warm enough for even me to stay awake comfortably. No human could survive in this environment…_

_ …Could they?_

_ Without at least one drone to explore for me, I could not see beyond the walls of my chamber, but I could hear._

_ I listened hard, straining to hear even the smallest of sounds. After several tense moments of painful, deafening silence, I heard…_

_ Movement._

_ Screams, wild and terrified, bounced and echoed off the stone walls. Human screams. So different from the willing gasps of the old civilization as they gave themselves for sacrifice. In spite everything, I felt a glimmer of hope sprout in my chest as the screams of terror turned into those of agony. That hope turned to outright joy when the hatchling's tiny mind brushed against mine as it burst from the host's chest cavity. The screaming stopped, and I felt the other five force their way into the world. For a while I was happy, basking in the sensations of their tiny minds while they grew and matured._

_ Until the Yautja found them again._

_ By now it was almost routine. The six fragile lives of my children were once again taken by the Hunters, and the burning hate I felt for them grew, but with no way to release the rage I felt, it was left to fester, buried deep in my aching heart. I didn't even try to fight the chemicals as I slipped again into sleep. _

_ Another slumber finished, I was forced to lay six more. This time felt different though. I listened, and I could actually hear the humans moving throughout the temple. There were more of them than usual, perhaps a dozen, maybe more. Some were locked in the sacrificial chamber, and they sounded… nervous. Soon after, they began to scream; the six hatchlings were attacking, latching onto their faces and depositing new embryos into their chest cavities. _

_ I felt no pleasure when hours later they emerged from their hosts. I knew what was in store for them. Already I could sense the Yautja prowling about the temple, stalking the new humans. I immediately ordered my children to hide._

_ As before, instead of engaging, the drones gathered hosts. Not all of the humans though. Only the stragglers who had been separated from the main group by the constantly shifting building were taken in an attempt to keep the Yautja from discovering my children as long as possible._

_ Conflict came sooner than I would've liked, however, though I was pleased with the results. One of the three Hunters, the mid-sized one, had cornered a human female, and was obviously preparing to kill her. A perfectly good host, about to be ruined. That was something I could not afford to let happen. _

_Out of a crevice a daughter appeared. Quickly and easily, she thrust the bladed end of her tail through the Yautja's back. The human only floor squeaked in surprise, and through my daughter's senses I could smell her fear-scent. The taste of fresh blood drowned out the human's scent as the Yautja was swiftly finished._

_A furious roar resounded through my daughter's senses. She shrieked in response and tossed the dead Hunter aside. She leapt at the Yautja's larger companion, and they tangled in a vicious battle. The human female vanished from my mind as they fought, though I felt she must've crawled away at some point._

_They were well matched. Neither could get the upper hand on the other. The Hunter snarled as he was talked to the ground, where the drone attempted to spear him with her tail, only succeeding in getting the blade stuck in the cement under them. The Hunter wasted no time in removing it. The blood melted completely through the metal, and he lost his wrist blades as a result. The drone screamed in pain, and was thrown off. She rolled and darted into the shadows._

_Silence. The Yautja stood slowly and looked around. Unbeknownst to him, my daughter was watching his every move from a high ledge behind him. I could scent his tension; he knew the drone was watching, out of sight somewhere, and it was making him nervous._

_Silently the drone slid down the wall. She hesitated only a moment, waiting, and leapt. Her cry was cut short when the Hunter whipped around and fired a net from his wrist, trapping her in it. He side-stepped as she crashed through the floor and into the burial chamber below. She rolled across the skeletal remains of generations of hosts who had long since been forgotten. The drone's back hit a wall, and I felt her surprise when the netting around her began to tighten. She hissed in pain as the wires began to cut into the tough chitin covering her head and shoulders, drawing blood._

_Bones suddenly snapped and crunched under the weight of the Yautja as he dropped through the gaping hole left in the upper floor. I could hear his footsteps grinding the bones to pieces, approaching leisurely, enjoying the long moments before the kill. A spark of fear jolted through my heart, but I quickly buried it before it could reach my child. I reached out and gently brushed her mind, sending her comforting thoughts as the Yautja paused in front of her and unsheathed his spear with menacing slowness._

_His deliberation would cost him._

_My daughter lunged, and the netting snapped away easily, weakened by her blood. She hit the startled Hunter hard, throwing him onto his back. His spear was knocked from his hand, and the drone hissed triumphantly into his mask, parted her jaws, and ended his life._

_My daughter lifted her head and let loose a wailing call that could've been heard throughout the entire temple, letting all who could hear know of her victory, and her pain. Pride welled up inside me, Two Hunter's dead, one is left. Perhaps we may stand a chance…_

_No. I could not allow myself to think such thoughts. I now know that the Yautja were equipped with a devastating weapon that could destroy the entire hive if set off. None in my brood would have a chance at survival if we kept up the way we have been._

_We must reach the surface._

_And I must get free._

_Now I sensed several of the newest drones testing the abilities of the remaining Yautja. He was the smallest of the trio, and I was surprised to realize the female from before was with him. I snarled when he blasted an approaching drone from the ceiling with his shoulder weapon. I roared, loud enough for my children to hear, commanding them to retreat and come to me._

_Soon, I had the three eldest gathered before me. I hissed with pleasure seeing the drone that was leading. The grid-shaped scars along her shoulders and the carapace covering her skull were stinging painfully, but she bore them proudly. I lowered my head towards them and pressed a single order into their heads._

Free me.

_They seemed to hesitate for a moment, before finally shrieking and leaping up to climb over my body, positioning themselves near where the chains and tubes connected to me. A pause, then, as one, each drone on my back lashed out with claws, tail, and jaw. I shrieked in pain as my acidic blood spattered over my bonds._

_Snarling, I struggled, straining against the manacles on my wrists and ankles. With a violent _crack!_ The chains gave, and I fell forward and landed on my two feet, simultaneously ripping myself away from the vile egg-sack that had burdened me for so long. Excitement pulsed from each of my children in waves as they bounded away into the long corridors leading away from my chamber. _

Free! _They chanted in my head. _Free!

_I charged after them, roaring as the rage that I'd been forced to keep inside suddenly surged forward, drowning out all thoughts except for one._

Revenge.

_I crashed through the corridors, ignoring the ceilings smashing into the great crest covering my skull as I plowed a new path to the surface. The thick stone walls that had held my broods captive for so many hundreds of years crumbled before my might. I felt my children split off suddenly, attracted to some disturbance. With a startled jolt I realized that the Yautja and the human female had made it to the nesting chamber where the many eggs I had lain before rested in wait for hosts. _

_A chestburster's life was cut short immediately after birth._

_I kept going, forcing my way through the temple walls, clawing my way up the many levels until I finally broke through the floor of the entrance hall. Horror wrenched in my gut as I pulled myself up and shoved my body out over the large threshold into the freezing air outside. I knew what was going to happen._

_We had to reach the surface… Had to…_

_I lurched to the side and stumbled, my forehead thudded into an icy wall, and I lunged, tearing into the ice and forcing a tunnel into the wall. It wasn't difficult. Compared to the solid walls of the temple this was like human flesh to my talons._

_I sensed my children behind me. They didn't follow me up the new tunnel, preferring instead to sit back and wait for the Hunter and the human, not knowing they would die. But there was nothing I could do. The ice was too slick for them to climb. Only my great bulk being wedged between the walls of the makeshift tunnel kept me from sliding back down into the cavern._

_Soon I could sense where the ice thinned above me, and I knew I was near the surface… when the walls trembled beneath me. I gave a pained cry when their presences vanished from my mind, all at once. I lost my grip on the ice and slid back a bit before I caught myself, my shoulder spikes slamming into the upper wall to keep me stationary._

_It was a while before I was able to sense anything other than my own grief over the loss of yet another brood. I stay there, shaking in the aftershock of the explosion, until I heard a soft sound from above, and my acidic blood boiled with barely contained fury when I recognized the noise. With a snarl, I threw the weight of my entire body at the remaining layer of ice._

_The ice shattered, and I pulled myself up, planting my feet firmly on the surface for the first time since I was brought here to this planet. Hunks of ice fell off my shoulders as I turned to face the growling of the Yautja that stood ahead of me. The human stood behind him, her fear-scent growing stronger each second. She would've made a good host, but at the moment I just wanted her dead._

_The Hunter pulled out a disk-shaped weapon and threw it while the human turned and ran. The first throw nicked my crest and sliced off one of the points, the second cut a thin line in my throat. It hurt, but was far from life-threatening. I roared and charged, swinging my tail around and caught the Yautja in the abdomen. The blow threw him into a small building. He crashed through the roof, where he stayed. With him out of the way I turned and went after the fleeing female. I snapped my jaws at her, my teeth barely scraping her back, feeling momentary surprise as the fabric ripped slightly._

_She screamed and dove under the support beam of a large water tower. My head slammed into the cold steel before I could stop, and I stepped back, dizzied for a moment. I shook myself and hissed in annoyance. The human cowered in the snow, pressing against the beams to stay as far out of my reach as possible. No matter how violently I clawed and broke away the beams she stayed maddeningly just inches away from my snapping jaws._

_Just when I thought I could finally reach her, I felt a pressure against the side of my skull, just before terrible agony exploded in my head. I screamed and reared, clutching at my face. The Yautja had chosen that moment to shove his spear all the way through my skull. I stumbled back, shrieking and trying desperately to knock it out. The pain blinded all my other senses, and for several terrifying seconds it was all I knew. I felt something tug at my back, pulling me, but in my desperation it went unnoticed. The pull grew stronger and I was forced to take several steps back. Finally, my claw snagged on the spear and it snapped away. Relief._

_A cry sounded behind me, and I whipped around, my tail lashing out instinctively. The tip stabbed through the Yautja's back, and he roared in both pain and surprise. I purred as I lifted his body, turning him to look me in the face._

_At last…_

_The water tower suddenly tilted, the beams groaning with the strain of trying to hold its weight, before giving in and allowing the tower to fall over the edge of the cliff that I hadn't known was there until now. Before I could react, I was spun around and jerked backward, the force causing the doomed Hunter to snap off my tail. I cried in alarm as I was dragged over the cliff by the weight of the tower. I snapped at the human one last time as I passed, and then I was falling._

_A crash, a splash, and then I was surrounded by freezing liquid, and going down, deeper, deeper into darkness. I shrieked silently as I sank further and further into the depths. A hollow thud sounded, and I hit solid ground, obviously the bottom of whatever pit I was dragged into. Already I could feel my body shutting down, succumbing to a chill even icier than that of my chamber. As I slipped unaided into slumber, I took final comfort in knowing that the Yautja would not survive our encounter._

_**Oh my God. This chapter was so hard to write, you have no idea. I'm SOOO sorry it took so long, and that there was absolutely no plot development in this chapter. The next chapter will be different, I SWEAR! And yes, there will be a next chapter. I'm working on it!**_

_**I hope you guys recognized the scenes used in this chapter, and that things are starting to come together a bit. I am going to make a part three of the Queen's story, and it will be the last part. As in the part where everything is finally explained. Not chapter 25 though. I'm gonna give you guys a break and give you something other than the Queen's ancient history. ^^ Thank you all so much for your support and dedication. I realize this chapter isn't very good. You guys deserve better, so feel free to drill me. I deserve to be punished for such a disgrace! D:**_


	26. Chapter 25

_**Oh. My. God. I'm soo sorry this took so long to get out. I was going to have it up on Christmas as a gift to you amazing readers, but whaddya know? My computer crashed. So I had to rewrite this chapter with only a vague idea as to what I had written before. Now I'm forced to use my dad's computer, which means no Microsoft Word and no spell/grammar check, only WordPad. Behold the typos, for they will rule this fic. (P.S, I have no idea what color Yautja blood turns when it dries. I only know ours turns kinda reddish-brown, so just go with it!)**_

__**Ch.25**

** Cerra**

God, I need a shower. I was finally back at my hut after a long, hot, dusty walk from the fighting pit. I was covered in sweat, dirt, and whatever that odd grayish stain was. Probably blood. Jarar had left me alone with directions to a washroom located through a back door I hadn't noticed before. Apparently he'd noticed my need, probably in the form of a stench, much to my chagrin. He disappeared in search of the Chief Elder, whose name I still didn't know. I wondered what Jarar could want from him? I had won the fight and "proven my worth," so what, was there a problem? Oh well. In any case, at least now he wouldn't be waiting on me to finish. I had all the time I needed to think.

Frowning, I looked around my tiny hut. As I said before, it wasn't much, but I figured it would be livable, at least until I found a way to get to Janine, and maybe Slink if possible. The Yautja hadn't exactly been gentle about dragging them away. Far from it. It worried me. What was happening to them? I think Janine'll be alright. I don't think the Chief considered her a threat, just... weird. I don't even want to think about what they could be doing to Slink though. I shuddered, thinking about all those movies with the labs, monkeys and rats trapped in cages, subjected to nasty experiments, dissections...

Gah! I shook my head rigorously to rid myself of those images. Whatever torments they put him through, I'm sure Slink could handle it. He's a shiny black skeleton-monster alien-beast from hell! I smirked, remembering when I first met Slink, in the van, curled protectively around Janine as though he was afraid she might jump up and throw herself back outside for Jarar to get her. The memory comforted me, oddly, and I relaxed slightly. If- no, _when_ they got out, I know I won't have to worry about Janine's safety.

I walked over to the grass sleeping mat and placed my katanas beside it. The blood on them had dried, turning to an ugly grey-green color. I guess Yautja blood loses it's fluorescence when it gets dry.

I left my swords there and turned towards the door leading to the washroom. I'd clean them later. I was in the doorway when it hit me.

In my pocket was the special whetstone I used for sharpening the blades to razor edges. I knew exactly where my cleaning kit was. It was sitting on my dresser to the left of the Sponge Bob plushie Katie had given me for my fifteenth birthday. On Earth.

God dammit!

**~X-X~**

** Slink**

Pain. Agony. More pain.

At the moment that's all I knew.

The last thing I remember before waking up was sitting in that horrible cell, ignoring the scientist as usual, when I heard portions of the walls "open" into... vents? I don't know. The next thing I remember was feeling this intense dizziness, then sickening nausea. Then... I'm here, tied down to a table much like I was at the lab on Earth. There was a multitude of needles stuck into various places on my body, long tubes and wires trailing from them. I could smell something, feel it being pumped into my body. And an excruciating burning as my systems tried to fight back the invading substance, and failing. I could do nothing as my struggling immune system slowly drained me of my strength. And the pain... Oh, the pain.

What was this substance? A chemical? Poison? Something else? Whatever it was... it was bad. Very, very bad. It was moving, I could feel it, slowly, agonizingly slowly making its toward my nervous system, like it knew where to go. Like it wanted control, spreading through my body, had a mind of its own.

A terrible realization came to me. There was a disease that was common on Earth. It grew and invaded the body, coming from the organism's very cells. I remember it from Janine's memories. On Earth, a cure had not yet been developed, and it was one of the leading causes of death on the planet. Janine had called it cancer.

But this was nothing like the Earthbound disease that developed in nature. This was an artificial creation, designed to ruin, to target vital structures. It worked faster and much more efficiently as it ripped me apart from inside.

I struggled, feeling my muscles tense up against my bonds. I managed to barely part my jaws, and gave a soft cry of pain.

Movement, above me. A jolt ran through me when I recognized the scientist's distinct scent. He was standing over me, watching, observing as I suffered and fought the demon crawling through my flesh, and I knew he was the one who had caused this. For the first time since I could remember, I was afraid.

I had never known that they could've created something such as this. It was eating me, destroying me from the inside, and I was powerless to defend myself against it. This cancer, the scientist's newest creation, was the ultimate enemy. Undefeatable, unmatched in destructive power. As it was reaching toward my spinal cord, I knew...

I was going to die.

Another pain, different from the pain caused by the cancer, located in the center of my chest. It stabbed sharply, aimed straight for my heart. In desperation, I thrust my mind outwards, reaching for the only one who could provide any sort of comfort, a final plea for contact.

_Janine..._

** Janine**

I jerked sharply on the Queen's back as I felt Slink's mind slam into mind, so powerful it broke through the barriers caused by the walls. But that's not what shocked me. I doubled over, feeling Slink's agony, causing Palla to leap from my lap or be trapped under me. I keened at the pain, the terror, the nearly overwhelming onslaught of emotions and sensations he was feeling.

_Janine._

I felt the Queen shudder violently beneath me, and I felt her mine brush against mine, giving one order, the single word filled with fury so intense it would've frightened me was I not already focused on Slink.

_GO._

I did. I flung myself from her back, landing hard on my feet and sprinting back through the chamber and out the door, not even pausing to consider the fact that a fall from that height should've broken my legs.

I felt Palla land on my shoulder, but I ignored her, too focused on running and keeping contact with Slink's mind. I could feel him slipping away, and latched onto him, viciously pulling him back to me. A sob ripped painfully from my throat when I felt his pain, and discovered the cause of it.

_Cancer... No..._ I thought. _No. NO!_ I put on another burst of speed. I didn't even know whereI was headed, or even payed any attention to the area around me. I was just following his presence in my mind.

Suddenly I burst through an open door, and I was standing in hot, humid air that had me instantly sweating.

I had reached the surface.

I heard a startled warble ahead of me, but ignored the Yautja. Instead I bolted off to the right, where Slink's pull was strongest. I was ducking, weaving, dodging aroundobstacles, be they buildings, Yautja, or miscellaneous. I could hear Yautja take off in persuit, but I was too fast, too focused on my goal of reaching my mate. It struck me then. _My mate..._

I sprinted onward.

Closer, closer. So _close..._

Strong arms snatched me up, halting my advance.

"NO!" I shrieked. I kicked and struggled violently, even managing to land a couple good blows on the Yautja holding me, causing him to grunt.

"Stop struggling, you fool!" He snarled, and I froze, recognizing Jarars voice. I know I should've been relieved it was him and not one of the guards who had locked me up, but right now he was the _last_ person I wanted to meet.

"LET GO OF ME!" His grip only tightened and I began to fight one more. Then, I did the only thing I knew how to do right then. I opened my mouth and let loose the most blood curdling screech even I had ever heard. Jarar released me and stumbled back, and no sooner had my feet touched the ground than I was running again towards Slink's ever fading conscience.

"_Pauk!"_ I heard another join Jarar behind me as he gave chase. I recognized the new being as the leader, the one who had ordered mour imprisonment. He called out to me.

"Ooman, stop!" Naturally, I ignored him.

I could sense Slink near. Just ahead, when suddenly, a huge wall loomed in front of me, blocking all passage. Directly in front of me, there was a door, but unlike the one from before, it was not open, and I knew without having to try it would be locked. I fell to my knees in front of it, and wrapped my arms around my self, I let the sobs wrack my body, ignoring the Yautja as they drew up behind me.

Before me was the door the the laboratory that was holding my dying mate, and I had no way to get inside.

The Yautja leader stepped up so he was standing just behind me, and spoke.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

_**Omgod I feel like such an evil person. XD And holy crap a lot of reviews for that last chapter! ^^ *Edit* Please, plese, PLEASE forgive the errors. The stupid program won't let me fix them unless I retype the entire thing! :'(**_

_**To RubyDracoGirl: Thank you so much! That makes me feel better! :)**_

_**To Apocalypse Survivor: Thank you! I will continue this story, and write to the end!**_

_**To SuicuneLuver: Lol Yay! Thanks!**_

_**To The Silent Hunter: Yes, thank you! Notice, while I said you wouldn't find out what happened to the Queen in this chapter, I never said it would be in the next one either! XD**_

_**To Vex: Thank you so much for reading! :)**_

_**To Reven207: Soon, you'll see.^^**_

_**To DaLover: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it. Good to be back. ;)**_

_**To LynxbyLynx: Yes, I know how painful History is, but don't worry. I may have found a way to liven things up a bit! ;) Thank **_**you**_** for sticking with me this whole time.**_

_**To Sadiera: Thank you! Here's more! ^^**_

_**To bookcoda: WAS THIS BORING? XD**_

_**To anonymous: Thank you! Thanks for the grammar advice. I'll keep it in mind ;)**_


	27. Chapter 26

_**It seems as though there are some readers who would like this to become a romance fic. I've even been given suggestions for pairings. Since I am still undecided, I have created another poll regarding this question; **_**Should I make "Family" a romance fic? Or should everyone just stay friends? **_**The choices are these; **_**A) Yes, make it a romance. B) No, they should stay friends, nothing more. C) If yes, who? Janine/Slink? D) Cerra/Jarar? **_**or **_**E) Both? **_**You may pick up to two choices. This question has been nagging at me for a while, but before I do anything drastic, I want to see what all you readers think. Happy late New Years, and here's the chapter. Enjoy. ^^**_

__**Ch. 26**

"What is ailing you, _ooman_?" The leader growled at me. I ignored him, paying more attention to the tiny creature on my shoulder that I had momentarily forgotten was there. Palla was digging her tiny claws into my skin fearfully.

_Slink hurts. _She whispered. I know. I can feel him, seemingly just behind the door, stuck in that room alone with Jarar's father. He cried silently in my head, grasping desperately at my mind for some form of comfort. I hissed through my teeth as I was assaulted by another sharp wave of suffering.

"_Ooman!"_ I sensed the Yautja reaching for me from behind. I jumped suddenly and whipped around, and he froze. We watched each other for a moment, until agony tore through my head. I screamed and fell to my knees clutching my head. Palla squeaked in alarm and jumped away. I whimpered as my head was ripped apart by whatever was happeniing to pain had _nothing_ on the headache I'd had before in the prison, and I felt fresh tears leak from my eyes.

The Yautja knelt in front of me. Palla growled halfheartedly at him from her place behind my shoes. She too was feeling Slink. He glanced at her then back to me, mandibles clicking curiously.

"_Ooman," _He said again, more softly.

I snarled under my breath. "Open... the door." I demanded through my pain. I felt him blink in surprise and shoot a quizzical look at the laboratory door. I grit my teeth in fustration. "Yes," I hissed. "_That_ one." He looked at me for another moment, as though debating wether to grant my wish or not. Finally, he stood and turned to bark an order at Jarar, who hesitated, glancing quickly at me before nodding and taking off in the direction he'd come.

The pain in my head began to subside to a more bearable level. I inhaled deeply and climbed back to my feet, swaying slightly as I tried to stay upright. I took a couple shaky steps back and felt my back hit the cold metal of the door.

_The door..._

I turned around and placed my palms against it. Slink's presence grew stronger; I could tell he was getting weaker, and I with him. The Queen's words suddenly rang through my head, from when she was explaining the idea of one's mate.

_...loyal even after death..._

I was suddenly hit with a very possible meaning to those words.

I was feeling everything Slink was feeling, my own strength draining as his did. I had to wonder, what would happen if he died?

The Yautja came up behind me, interrupting my thoughts just as another agonizing wave throttled my mind. I gasped and squeezed my eyes shut until it was over. The Yautja growled and I sensed him drag one of his claws down a side panel by the door. A beep, a hiss of decompressing air, and the door slid open. my support suddenly gone, I fell forward and stumbled before I managed to catch myself on the opposite wall. Then I was gone, sprinting down the short hall into the room... where I came face-to-face with the object of my torment- Jarar's father, the scientist, growling and clicking in both annoyance and alarm.

My senses were flooded by one thought, one desire that were I in my right mind, would've terrified me.

Kill.

Somewhere in the very back of my conscience, the Queen was watching, with a mix of both rage and pride burning through her body.

Without a second thought, I lunged for his throat.

**Jarar Than-guan R'ka**

I have absolutely no idea as to how Janine escaped her imprisonment, or why she had a miniature Hard Meat riding on her shoulder, but I know for a fact that something bad has happened if Janine's odd behavior was anything to go by. When I left to retrieve Cerra at R'ka-de Thwei's order, she had been on the ground, clutching her skull like she was in pain.

I was running back through the city, leaping over buildings to save time, back in the direction of Cerra's hut. I thought as I cleared another large hut, Janine had been running, _fast._ She would've outrun us completely had she not stopped in front of the laboratory...

I landed heavily on the roof of the next building, nearly stumbling as realization set in. The _lab!_

_Pauk-de..._

I leaped again, moving considerably faster.

**Cerra**

Well, that wasn't so bad.

The washroom wasn't really a room. It was actually a small clearing located behind my hut that was surrounded by a thick ring of densly packed shrubs and trees that provided more than enough cover from any who might see me. There was a large pit dug in the ground that had been filled with cool, clean water. It was actually quite nice. The cool temperature was a relief to the planet's hot atmosphere.

There was a bar of what I assumed to be soap and a couple pieces of thick cloth that could only be towels set by the rim of the pool along with a stack of clothing- or what could be considered clothing. It was actually a loincloth and a long strip that probably went around my torso. No way in hell was I going to even _try_ that.

Instead, I just scrubbed the clothes I had with the soap after I had taken care of my hair and washed away all the dirt and sweat from my body. I put them back on wet after rinsing, knowing that they would be stiff and uncomfortable when they dried, but at least I would be covered and more or less clean.

My hair was nearly dry and I was considering cutting it off with the dagger I had found when Jarar rushed in.

Alarmed, I stared at him. He looked flustered. I heard him growling lowly through his mask even as he stalked towards me and pulled me roughly up by my arm. Before I could say a word, he dragged me out of the hut, not giving me a chance to even drop the dagger in my hand. I opened my mouth, ready to demand he explain himself, but my protest turned into a startled squawk when he slung me over his shoulder and we were in the air.

It was all I could do to hold on as Jarar flew over the rooftops, and keep from hurling every time he reached the peak of his jump and we had that one stomach-turning moment of weightlessness. I never liked roller-coasters, but at least with them you were strapped in nice and tight to a car, not clinging to some barbarian alien's back for dear life. I pressed my face into the armor on Jarar's shoulder blade and closed my eyes as I prayed for it to end quickly.

I wondered randomly if Janine ever felt like this while riding Slink.

Then again, Slink probably didn't fling himself thirty or forty feet in the air for no apparent reason. Or maybe I'm exaggerating.

Finally, after one last dizzying jump, Jarar landed and allowed me to slide limply off his back. As soon as my feet hit the ground I staggered, only to be yanked upright again.

The scene I was faced with could only be described as shocking.

There was Janine, sweet, tiny Janine, slamming something long and shiny into a poor Yautja who was on his back in the dirt trying desperately to fend the girl off. Another Yautja, whom I instantly recognised as the Chief Elder, watching from the doorway of a rather tall stone building. I was about to run forward when Jarar grabbed my shoulder and stopped me. I looked at him and he shook his head. I wished again that I could see his face to see what he was thinking.

I turned back just in time to see the Yautja swing his arm and hit Janine in the abdomen. Fear stabbed through me as I watched the blow throw her back, but my fear was turned to amazement when Janine hit the ground and rolled backward onto her feet at the same time the Yautja rolled to his. Janine was just about to go at him a second time when the Elder stepped forward and grabbed her by the back of her shirt and pulled her back.

For a moment it looked as though she was going to swing at the Elder... and she froze. The object fell from her hand and landed with a hollow clang in the dirt. I saw her drop to the ground on all fours, and scream.

It was the most horrible noise I'd ever heard. It raised the hairs on the back of my neck, and made my gut knot painfully with dread. Her scream was a sound of pure suffering. She sounded like... she was dying. Horribly, slowly, excruciatingly.

"JANINE!" I cried. I shook free of Jarar's grasp and ran to her. Her scream broke off as I skidded to a halt and knelt next to her, replaced by quiet sobbing. Suddenly, as I reached for her, Janine shoved away from the ground and sprinted towards the building, disappearing through the doorway with speed I didn't know she possessed.

"What happened?" Jarar growled off to my left, speaking to Janine's unfortunate victim. I ignored them and instead got up to quickly follow my friend. I slipped though the doorway, and down the hall, following the sounds of distress coming from my only human friend, the tight feeling of dread never leaving my gut. A soft, deep moan came from the same direction just as I entered the laboratory.

The first thing I saw was the huge metal operating table that was laying overturned on its side in the middle of the room. Tools, and other dangerous looking equipment were strewn haphazardly throughout the area, along with several large syringes dripping a noxious, clear liquid, and I noticed several places where the floor had been partially melted away.

There had been a serious struggle, and I suddenly had an idea of who caused it.

A high pitched shriek drew my attention to the left, to a countertop set against the wall opposite the table. My jaw fell open. There stood what looked like a toy sized version of Slink, only it's body seemed to resemble that of a dog. It was also colored differently, being russet brown instead of black. The tiny hard meat opened it's little mouth and shrieked at me again, before jumping off the counter and disappearing behind the table, where I could hear Janine crying softly.

I swallowed hard, trying to dislodge the lump that had wedged itself in my throat, and slowly approached...

**Slink**

"Oh my God. Slink!"

I felt someone land next to me- Cerra, I could tell by her scent. I felt some relief knowing she was alright, but it was Janine I was worried about. The way she had felt just before she attacked the scientist... it didn't feel like her. She had done the exact thing I would've if our positions were reversed- which I'm very glad they're not, but I still didn't like it.

Janine had managed to disconnect the needle from me, albeit painfully, and my blood had melted through my bonds. Her fight with the scientist had somehow caused the table to tip over, forcing me onto the floor. She had them pulled the fight outside to avoid injuring me further... and now she was here, crying over me. I wished she wouldn't. She was sharing my pain, but now that the source of the cancer-like toxin was cut off, it's advance through my body had halted. Now all that was to be done was to wait for my immune system to destroy it.

She had come just in time.

Janine held my head in her lap, running her hand up and down, gently stroking the sharp ridges lining my skull. It felt nice, but I wished she would stop crying! I tried to lift my head, but only caused a sharp pain to go shooting down mt spine. I let my head drop back into her lap, and she resumed stroking me.

"Is he gonna be alright?" Cerra asked in a whisper. I noticed that Palla had shifted into her lap, and Cerra was hugging her close. Janine sniffed and shook her head.

"I don't know." I reached out with my mind and brushed hers reassuringly. Her crying stopped. _Slink..?_

A growl startled both Cerra and Janine. The Yautja's scent invaded my senses, and I couldn't suppress a soft hiss. Jarar.

"My father explained what happened," He rumbled. Cerra glared up at him. Janine stayed still.

"And?" She demanded.

"He wishes to continue his... project."

A low hiss escaped Janine's lips. Palla whimpered at the sound. "No." She muttered. I couldn't make sense of the emotions coming off her, but the feeling was very similar to when she attacked the scientist; angry, hateful, and dangerous.

I exhaled and forced my head up, ignoring the pain it caused. It took every ounce of will and strength in my being to roll onto my belly and get off my side. Janine moved to kneel next to me, her demeanor changing, and I felt her chew her lip worriedly.

Jarar looked at Janine. "You," he said, "are to go back down to the prison cells."

"No way!" Cerra cried, jumping up while still keeping Palla in her arms. "You can't lock her up after all that!" Jarar shrugged.

"It's not my decision. The Chief Elder believes her to be a threat, and after that display, he's got a reason-" He stopped when I began to stand, slowly, painfully until I was back on all fours. While the substance the scientist used on me was no longer killing me, it would take a while for me to fully recover from the damage wreaked on my body. Every movement, every breath hurt like I was being crushed under the weight of ten van-sized boulders, and I felt like I could collapse at any second, but there was no way I was going to let them take her away from me again. Not without a fight. I growled at Jarar, and was just about to say as much when two Yautja entered the lab.

I instantly recognized them both. Janine narrowed her eyes and moved so that she was standing by me, placing her hand gently on my wounded ribcage.

The scientist stopped when he saw I was on my feet, and I curled my lip in disgust at the nearly overpowering stench of his fear. The other stepped forward, casting his gaze over first me, then Janine, then finally Cerra. I smelled no fear on him, so I knew this must be the "Chief Elder" Jarar spoke of.

Cerra was the first to actually do anything. She huffed in annoyance and vaulted over the edge of the table to stand in front of the Elder. Palla moved to perch on her shoulder, sitting with her head high and her puny chest puffed out, refusing to be intimidated by the Yautja. He glanced at her with an amused growl before turning to Cerra.

"You can't do this to them!" Cerra said, anger coloring her tone. "They're my friends and it's totally wrong to treat them like animals when they're not, especially since I get my own little house and everything and get treated good while they go through... this!" She waved her arm around the room, breathing hard, and continued. "You saw Janine out there. She was half crazy because of what he-" she pointed at the scientist. "-was doing to Slink, whatever that was."

The Elder growled. "I believe Ma'dur was testing a prototype of an altered version of a disease that often develops in _oomans_ on Earth." He glanced at the scientist, and said something in their own language, to which the scientist nodded and responded.

"You nearly killed him." Anger was starting to build back up in Janine as she stepped up to the overturned table. She had her sightless gaze locked on the scientist. "He would've died if I hadn't gotten here to pull those tubes from him." The scientist was looking at her now with an unsettling amount of interest. I bared my teeth and moved up beside her. Janine inhaled sharply and closed her eyes at the pain. Keeping them closed she said, "If you attempt to force us, we will have no choice but to resist."

Jarar clicked his mandibles in irritation. "Niether one of you are in any shape to fight." Janine opened her eyes and smiled wickedly.

"Who ever said anything about fighting?" In a move that mimicked Cerra, Janine launched herself over the table and was in the hallway in seconds. I followed quickly, hissing in annoyance at her actions and at the ache in my body. The Elder made to stop me but suddenly found him movement halted by Cerra as she jumped up and wrapped her arms around his mask, giggling insanely while Palla leapt at Jarar. I shoved the scientist aside, slamming him into the wall, watching with satifaction as his body went limp. _I'll kill him later,_ I thought, dropping him.

I paused at the hall and looked back.

"GO!" Cerra screeched. They landed on the floor, the Yautja still trying to rip her off him. Finally she let go, and I darted away, down the hall, and finally out the door into the open where Janine was waiting anxiously.

As I ran past her, Janine reached up and snatched one of my shoulder spikes, using my momentum to swing up and onto my back. She positioned herself on my back just in time. A wall loomed up ahead of me and I jumped, latching easily onto the side. I forced myself to forget about my sore muscles and climbed up, and over.

Free.

**~X-X~**

_**Sweet. An update less than 24 hours from the last one. I don't think this chapter was as good as previous ones; I kinda struggled with the "get away" scene. As you can probably tell. Again, sorry for the shortness. I just don't have it in me to write 10,000 word chapters. My thoughts get all jumbled and the chapter comes out a mess if I make it too long. *shrugs***_

_**To minitech: Did you like it even though it was short? :)**_

_**To rugbread: My sentiments exactly! Thank you, I try hard to make the characters believable, so it pleases me to know I've done good! ^^**_

_**To DaLover: Normally I'd answer your questions here but, I think this chapter was sufficient. Anyway, a bit more dialogue, even if I really don't like the way it went. :/**_

_**To Reven207: There! Jeeze, you happy? XD**_

_**To SuicuneLuver: Aw! You don't have to do that, but thank you! I'll see if I can return the favor by reading said fiction. :D**_

_**To Apocalypse Survivor: Well, you're obviously not dead, but here's my update! :P**_

_**To bookcoda: Depends on the poll results. :)**_

_**To Discofreak1029: We'll see. ;)**_

_**To Sadie: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it.**_

_**To AnimeDreama: Lol no worries. It's good to hear from you again. :) Don't worry. I love Slink way too much to let anything worse than severe pain happen to him. XD I know, I'm evil. Thank you for the review! :P**_


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